The Space Between
by rockerwriter77
Summary: Gohan always only thought he would lead as normal a life as possible whilst protecting his secrets. Videl unravels this notion and soon the imminent upheaval of the entire universe further unravels this notion as they face it together.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One; Questions

The sun had barely begun to show itself, taking its time as it slowly appeared over the horizon. It was nature's way of saying good morning and the slow movement of the orb with which nature chose to awaken those that slumbered suggested that perhaps even the sun prefers to sleep in. It seemed to be in no hurry to rise into the sky to illuminate yet another day. All this was seemingly lost to all the critters and living creatures within sight of the not yet fully risen ball. It was morning, and the morning activities would commence with or without the steadily rising sun.

Not just the animals had agendas to be carried out at such an early hour. A lone figure clad in a familiar blue gi was sitting on the ground, cross-legged with arms folded. His eyes were closed and an intense look of concentration was etched across his face as sweat trickled off of his head. The lone spiky bang that hung down his forehead was matted to his face as testament to all the sweat from previous exertions. He tensed up as to signal that his concentration was reaching the climax and the dam was about to break. Even the air was becoming thick and tense as the tension built up. Then suddenly...

"Gohan!" called the high-pitched voice of a young boy. The semi-Saiyan looked up, as he suddenly was jolted out of his concentration. "Breakfast is ready!" the orange gi clad boy shouted as he ran towards the meditating teen Saiyan.

"Thanks Goten." he called back to his younger brother. "I'll be right there!" he said as he wiped the sweat off his sodden brow.

"Okay! You better or I'll eat your share!" taunted Goten as he ran back inside.

"Ha! In your dreams squirt!" called Gohan after him. He paused to look forlornly at the target that was previously causing so much concentration. A lone boulder the size of a car sat on the ground, looking as if it had been slightly disturbed. "Shoot...I almost had," said Gohan regretfully.

Gohan had been focusing on the boulder so he could mentally levitate it in the air then dismantle it into many small pieces. It was an exercise that Piccolo had promised would help with his ability to manipulate ki and obviously that would increase the potency of his mental powers. Gohan had learned this exercise after inquiring from his wise childhood master how he could achieve the kind of mental strength and dexterity he frequently brandished. So far Gohan was a long way away from the level of mastery that Piccolo boasted.

"I'll just have to try again later." Gohan said determinedly as he went to wash up and satisfy his gargantuan Saiyan appetite. After a quick but refreshing shower, a school clothe-clad Gohan made his way to the nearly stuffed to collapsing breakfast table. A young semi-Saiyan was already helping himself to the goodies piled high on the table.

"Morning mom. It looks great!" exclaimed a hungry Gohan as he prepared a 'plate' of food.

"Good morning Gohan. Training again I see?" said a busy ChiChi as she prepared an extra round of everything for good measure.

"It was just some morning exercise to wake me up," Gohan half lied. He was well aware of his mother's displeasure in his continued training over the years. He only managed to earn her approval by convincing her it was simply maintenance so he could be ready for anything. If she had any idea of how extensive his continued training had been, she would have more adamantly objected to it for fear of interference with his studies.

"Well alright," she grudgingly consented. "So long as you are well rested for school, there is nothing wrong with that. Just don't get carried away," she said as placed finished food in their respective places on the 'mountain'. "Alright boys, I'm sure there's enough to fill those bottomless pits you call stomachs," she giggled. "Me and Goten will be going on errands before you leave. So we'll see you after school and...maybe you can tell us if you've found any girlfriends by the time you get back," said ChiChi with a wink.

"Gah! Mom!" sputtered a red Gohan as he struggled to get a bite down. "You know I don't have time for that!" As he was saying this, one particular girl came to mind. He quickly shook it off.

"Oh, you know I'm only teasing you Gohan!" ChiChi said with a smirk. "Although, I'm not getting any younger you know. Oh, how I await the day when my baby will settle down with a nice girl!" ChiChi wistfully said with clasped hands and stars in her eyes. To which Gohan and Goten could only sit in awkward silence as a giant sweat-drop appeared on their heads.

"Ahem...well that's all well and good mom," coughed an uncomfortable Gohan. "It'll happen when the time is right," he muttered. Again, a particular girl came to mind as he was speaking. He shook it off again.

"Oh, I know Gohan. It's just such a joy to tease my baby about his love life." ChiChi said with a smirk. "Come on Goten! Let's go so we can get done early," called ChiChi.

"Okay mom! Can we get ice cream while we're out?" asked a hopeful Goten.

"Hmmm. I don't see how a bit will hurt. We'll get some on the way home though. Okay?"

"Okay! Yay! Ice cream!" cheered an excited Goten. He jumped around and ran for the door. "Bye Gohan! See you after school!"

"See ya squirt! Bye mom...but are you sure you want to do that?" said Gohan as he imagined the sugar high that was soon to follow. He shuddered involuntarily as he remembered the last time Goten had ice cream. Trunks had also consumed the dreaded sugar infested snack. It resulted in a very expensive and destructive escapade that Bulma had to pay for, the respective frying pan and GR treatment, and an extremely exhausted and embarrassed Gohan.

"Oh, you're right," said ChiChi as she sensed his thoughts. "We'll just have to stop by the park and then take a scenic route home," she shrugged. "Bye! Don't be late!" called ChiChi as she left.

"See you later mom! Don't worry. I won't be late!" Gohan called after her. He promptly finished his breakfast then after covering the remnants of the breakfast mountain he brushed his teeth and gathered his stuff. He took off at a comfortable speed, knowing he would just make it with a few minutes to spare.

Something weighed heavily on Gohan's mind as he flew towards his high school. It was the same thing distracting him as he meditated and during his mother's teasing. Videl had been a constant source of distraction for Gohan lately and he didn't really understand. Sure, she was a skilled fighter that used her abilities to help others. Sure, she was intelligent and attractive. But she's just plain confrontational, rude, and nosy, for lack of better word.

_"Come on Gohan...you know you like them with a bit of vinegar and fire to them."_ teased some inner voice inside his head.

"Shut up!" said Gohan as he shook it off. "Great, now voices inside my head are in on it. She's turning me into a nut," muttered Gohan.

Much to his relief, Gohan had no more teasing from his inner self for the duration of his trip to school. He landed on the roof per usual and made it to his first class with five minutes to spare. He stretched back in his seat enjoying that he was early for once.

"Now if I can avoid airheads latching onto me and the interrogations from hell, this should be a pretty good day."

"What's that?" inquired a feminine voice. Gohan spun around to see his almost daily interrogator in the flesh.

"Oh...hey Videl." Gohan greeted nervously. "Was just saying it should be a pretty good day today...?"

"Really? I could have sworn that I heard you talking about avoiding airheads and 'interrogations from hell'?" she paused on the latter item for dramatic effect. She stood with her arms crossed in rather close proximity to the nervous Saiyan. She eyed him with a scrutinizing look as she awaited his response.

"Uhh...well, I do get bimbos attaching themselves to me on a regular basis." offered Gohan. He gulped knowing very well that Videl would soon follow up on the latter thing.

"So who is subjecting you to the interrogations from hell then? Is there anything I should know about Gohan?" For most of the couple months they had known each other, she had been suspicious of him hiding something from the start. Unfortunately, Gohan was horrible at hiding things and it only confirmed Videl's suspicion.

"Umm...you?" said Gohan deciding to be brave. He awaited her response with dread. To his surprise it wasn't as severe as he had anticipated.

"Oh? Well it's not my fault now is it? Whenever you feel ready to spill whatever you're hiding, I'll be waiting." She said snidely and took her seat just as Erasa and Sharpner entered the room.

Gohan blinked as he processed what had just transpired. Did Videl just take his accusation without a ripping his head off? Was it because he had merely been honest? Thoughts began flowing in his that he quickly blocked from his mind. He just couldn't bring himself to trust her yet.

_"She would freak out if I told her the truth! Yikes! She's just as scary as my mom when she's pissed off too..."_

"Hey Gohan! You're early for once." greeted the bubbly blonde.

"Yeah, brains. You're usually late." said Sharpner not far behind. He put up a front, but in truth, he really thought Gohan was alright.

"Oh, hey guys," said Gohan as he was broken from his train of thought. "Yeah, it must be my lucky day today." Gohan grinned sheepishly as he scratched the back of his neck. Sharpner took his seat next to Erasa, giving Gohan a slap on the shoulder as he walked by. Erasa ruffled his hair as she took her seat. Videl just stared at Gohan out of the corner of her eyes then went back to looking straight ahead as the teacher entered the room.

_"Can't this guy ever be transparent? Anyone who paid attention could see that fifteen foot wall he always has up when you talk to him." _Videl harrumphed as she shook the thoughts of Gohan out of her head.

_"Always staring at me out of the corner of her eye. She's on me like a hawk from the time she walks in to the time we leave. No...I don't like the attention..." _Gohan mentally argued with himself.

"Good morning class!" greeted the middle-aged teacher. "I hope you all finished those assignments over the weekend!" This was met with a collective groan minus Gohan who never had any problems turning in assignments. His general attitude was that the school might as well hand him his diploma. He really only came for the social interaction. A certain trio consisting of two blondes and a raven-haired girl made life very interesting.

"C'mon teach!" exclaimed a student rather obnoxiously. "Don't you know it's just plain gross to send a student home with an assignment over the weekend?"

"Hey! No complaining! It was a small assignment and you had the whole weekend to finish it. Now, if we're all done moaning let's turn in your book to chapter seven, and pay attention. We have a lot of material to cover today." This was met with another groan of displeasure from the general student body. Even Gohan couldn't help joining in. He was already familiar with the material anyway, so learning it all over again was a bore.

"Wake me in an hour guys," whispered Gohan as he leaned back in his seat. His three friends couldn't help snicker or a smirk at his comment. It was just as boring to them, albeit for different reasons

"Leave it to brains to already know the material," Sharpener picked on Gohan.

"Huh? How did you know I already know the material?" Gohan asked as he straightened up and turned his head towards toward Sharpner. His signature naive expression was painted on his face as he scratched his neck.

"I didn't...I was just...nevermind," Sharpner muttered as he shook his head. _"He really is a nerd."_

"Ooh, so smart as always Gohan!" gushed Erasa. "And cute to boot! Maybe I made the wrong choice." She said that with a smirk as she looked at Sharpner.

"Whoa, watch it Erasa! I might have a bone to pick with brains later on." Sharpner said as he put his arm around her. He turned and winked at Gohan.

"Nah, she's all yours Sharpner. I just don't have time for girls ya know? No offense to you Erasa."

"You know I couldn't take offense from someone as cute as you Gohan," she responded after which the teen Saiyan could only blush.

"Bah, if he ever got any ideas in his head, I could beat them out of him. Right brains?" joked Sharpner.

"Sure Sharpner. Sure," Gohan weakly chuckled. He wasn't about to tell the buff jock that he could kill him with one finger with his eyes closed.

Meanwhile, an inner battle was raging inside a certain raven-haired girl. She couldn't help but glance at Gohan and let a slight look of disappointment grace her for face an instant. It was gone as quickly as it had come. She put her silent struggle aside as the teacher droned on about the dull and trite details of literature. Oh yes. Today was going to be a good day for sure. There's nothing like the smell of literature in the morning.

School dragged by at a slow and uneventful pace. It was proving to be a fairly quiet and peaceful day today. There wasn't a hint of crime to be heard of during class, which was a welcome change. However, despite the relief, this was a minor source of vexation for Videl. She had been hoping to take another crack at unmasking Saiyaman. Much to Gohan's relief that chance had to live to die another day. Gohan sighed in relief as school finally let out and he breathed the fresh air of freedom. He was glad he had people other than family and super powerful martial artists/aliens to socialize with, but school was such a headache.

"See you guys! I'm off!" called Gohan as opened his capsulated jet copter. It was merely a ruse so that he wouldn't raise suspicions on his very long commute. It had been successful on everyone except Videl for obvious reasons. She was much too stubborn to immediately believe any alibi or excuse Gohan could offer.

"Bye Gohan!" his friends waved back to him. Only Videl remained stationary as he took off in his aircraft. She managed a courtesy wave just before he flew off. The reluctant gesture didn't go unnoticed to Gohan or her friends. Gohan couldn't help sighing in slight disappointment as they began to shrink from view.

"Gee Videl, don't be too enthusiastic about waving back," teased Erasa. "It's been two months already! Don't you think it's time to really treat Gohan like a friend?"

"Yeah Videl. He may be a nerd, but the guy is alright." Sharpner said as he shrugged.

"Hey! I'm civil to him and I don't pick on him." defended Videl. I just can't trust him like I trust you guys. He always hides behind a wall and I know he's hiding something."

"Whatever girl. You know you like him and are just covering it up. All this stuff about him hiding something is just an excuse for you to hide your interest," teased Erasa.

"Shut up about that! I already told you that I DON'T like him!" dismissed Videl. "I mean, I'm sure he's nice and everything, but he's not my type!"

"Yeah Erasa. Of all the guys why would Videl choose a scrawny nerd like him? I mean, nothing against the guy but she could beat him up in 5 seconds flat! That's not exactly appealing you know?"

"Whatever Sharpner! Some girls actually a guy to be sweet sometimes." muttered Erasa

"Hey! I can be sweet!" whined Sharpner

"Ugh, you guys are giving me a headache. See you tomorrow!" Videl shook her head as she took out her jet copter. She left the bickering couple to their drama as she took off and headed home. A sigh of frustration escaped her lips as she rolled her eyes. She loved her friends, but they were honestly so goofy at times. She blamed the blonde hair.

Her thoughts went back to a previous vexation from that day. When Gohan said that he had no time for girls, it somehow got underneath her skin. She had no idea why it bothered her that he wasn't interested in dating anyone.

_"I'm not interested in him like that. Right?"_ She asked herself. The answer didn't come back so certain. _"I just want to find out what he hides in the closet, because I can never trust him like my friends do until I do. But why does that matter?" _The question remained unanswered for the remainder of her flight home.

"Good afternoon sweet pea," greeted Hercule. "How was your day?" he asked as got up from his chair and gave her a peck on the cheek.

"It was okay. It was just boring as usual," she responded quickly so she could go to her room. "I'm going to do some homework so I'll be in my room."

"Alright. I'll be here if you need me. I'm going to order takeout for tonight because I'm giving the cook a break. Anything you want?"

"Just order me the usual." She said as she went up to her room. She was eager to escape into the sanctity of her room. She loved her dad, but his inflated ego and wild antics got to her sometimes.

"Sure thing sweetie!" Hercule called as he went to his trophy room. He flexed in various ways and punched the thin air. "Oh yeah! I'm the greatest dad AND the strongest man in the world!" crowed Hercule.

"Ugh, he's so full of it," muttered Videl as she closed the door. She was left all to herself and her thoughts of finding out Gohan's secrets.

Meanwhile, Gohan was just landing. He opened the door and knew instantly that his family was still out on errands. That left him all alone to ponder his day and predicaments.

_"She just won't quit. No matter what I say or do, she can't stop being suspicious of me and trust me like her friends. I wonder why I care so much that we aren't friends though...?" _ His musings continued without much of an answer.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two; Problems

"Shoot him! Shoot him quick!" cried out a frantic thug. The ensuing rain of bullets was met by an unmovable object none other than a costumed Saiyan. The mouth situated beneath his visor smirked as the bullets fell harmlessly to the pavement.

This was the usual routine of the teen super hero and the usual trash of the city. It's said that expecting different results from the same action is a sign of insanity. Whether that is true or not never seemed to deter the criminals even though they were obviously and hopelessly outclassed by both Gohan and Videl.

"No use! He's freaking bullet proof! Let's scram!" cried the frantic thug. None of them had a chance to move as Gohan faded out of view and knocked them all out in the span of a few seconds.

"When do they ever learn?" He looked at his watch and saw there were still a few lunch-break ended. He could still make it if he booked it. After dusting his hands of he blazed off towards school.

Meanwhile, a certain raven-haired girl descended in her jet-copter to see that much to her chagrin her work had already been done for her. The cops were already rounding up the unconscious criminals as she hovered over the scene.

_"He always does this! That's the third time in two weeks he's beaten me to the punch. Well, I've had it up to here with this Saiyaman. It's a waste of my time if he takes care of all my work before I even get here. It's time I had a little 'word' with him."_ She took off towards school and arrived just short of lunch ending. She joined her departing friends.

"Hey Videl! How did it go?" inquired Erasa.

"Hmmph, well Saiyaman took care of it already per usual. That guy is really starting to get on my nerves."

"Well, he's only trying to help out, ya know?" interjected Sharpner.

"You think I don't know that? Not that I mind a little help, as those monkeys in the uniforms can't tie their own shoelaces. It's just that he's practically taken over my whole job! It's a waste of my time to put so much effort into this if there's nothing to do by the time I get there."

"Hmm, I guess I see what you're saying."

"Of course you do, by the way, where's Gohan? Wasn't he with us when I left?"

"Oh, he left to go to the bathroom as soon as you left, he never came back." Videl's face darkened as Sharpner told her this.

_"Can't he come up with a better excuse than that? He's so full of it, and I'm going to find out what he's hiding."_ Her change in demeanor wasn't unnoticed by her friends.

"Gosh Videl, what's eating you?" asked Erasa? "You're not jealous that maybe Gohan is having a secret meeting are you?" she concluded with a wink.

"Shut up Erasa! There's no way I would care about any of that. I can just tell he's lying to us. Isn't it obvious or have you guys really been so duped by that clown?"

"Well, why do you care that he is? If you weren't interested in him in any way would it matter so much if were lying to us?" Videl could say nothing to this and could only look at her shoes. The question flustered her.

_"Could she be right? Why do I care so much that he isn't more honest? No, I'm not interested like that."_ She looked up at her friends. "I can't trust him like you guys do. If he feels the need to hide what he's doing all the time, then why should I? Why should you for that matter?"

"Come on Videl! The guy's harmless. Oh, and lay off Erasa. Why would Videl ever go for someone as awkward as him?" Sharpener scoffed. "Granted, he's alright to hangout with, but Videl could do better." This set off another argument between the couple on Gohan's merits. Meanwhile, Videl chose to escape her sometimes overly dramatic friends. In her hurry, she failed to notice a tall, well-built Saiyan boy as she turned around a corner.

"Oof! Watch where you're going you...oh, it's you. Where were you all this time?"

"Sorry Videl! I was in the bathroom," lied Gohan. He knew she wouldn't believe it for a second.

"As if Gohan. You do this every time I leave to fight crime. I want to know what you're up to. Is that so much to ask?" As she was saying this, she was getting closer to his face with her hand on her hips. She failed to notice his nervousness due to the close proximity.

"You wouldn't understand," he said as he looked away. He tried to gain some clarity and figure out what to say next.

"What do you mean? What's so hard about this Gohan?" A look of curiosity grew on her face.

"It's not that easy to just tell you guys everything I do. I-I don't know if I can trust you." His own openness surprised him. _"Why am I telling her this?"_

"What are you talking about?" Videl said as she began to feel irritated. "You snoop around and hide behind this wall all the time and you have the nerve to say that!? I'm the one that can't trust you! Listen, if you want to live in your own little world and keep everyone you know in the dark about you that's fine. Just don't expect to be a friend of mine." She turned on her heel and left Gohan gawking. Gohan followed suit and went to his class, but her words weighed heavily on him. They cut him more deeply then he could have ever known.

School lagged on without a hitch or any further incidents all day. Gohan eagerly flew home at breakneck speeds. His earlier encounter had bothered him.

"Does it bother her that much? Why does it bother her that much that I have some secrets?" he said as he landed on the front lawn. He didn't notice his mother hanging laundry as he spoke.

"Bother who?" Chichi asked curiously. "You said 'her', so you're talking about a girl! Oh! I can see the grandchildren already!" She clasped her hands and her eyes twinkled dreamily as she gushed excitedly.

"IT'S NOT LIKE THAT MOM! She's just a girl in my class. I'm not interested in her like that," his face a string shade of crimson as he spoke.

_"Liar." _Taunted his inner Gohan

_"Shut up."_ He countered.

"You needn't be so bashful Gohan. I was only teasing anyway. Do tell me though, why is she upset at you?"

"Well, she's onto me mom. She's knows I'm hiding things from our friends. I guess it just bothers her that I'm not more honest, but it's not like I can just say "Hi! I'm Gohan! I'm half alien, I have super powers, and I fight crime in a green tunic and helmet!" He waved and flashed a cheesy smile to add emphasis.

"Hmm...I see what you mean," said Chichi whilst holding in a chuckle. "But I don't think it would bother her this much over you keeping her and others out of your private life unless she wanted to be more than 'some girl in your class'. I bet that girl likes you Gohan."

"You think so? It doesn't seem like it to me," pondered Gohan. _"I wish."_

_"That's more like it!"_

_"OH, WOULD YOU PUT A SOCK IN IT!" _ The war between Gohan and his inner self didn't go unnoticed to Chichi.

"Are you alright Gohan? You look a little strange."

"Oh, yeah I'm fine," Gohan scratched his head sheepishly. "I'm going to finish up some homework and then spar with Goten.

"Alright. Be sure to finish all of it and be on time for dinner."

"Yeah, no problem mom!" She watched as Gohan went in the house.

"Oh, Gohan. You can be clueless like your father sometimes. I miss you Goku. I wish you could be here to see the fine young men our sons are growing up to be."

Meanwhile, somewhere in the secluded sectors of Other World, a more complicated situation brewed. The Kais had noticed it almost immediately. The powerful villains of the past were never individuals that could be kept down. Even in death, they still were finding motivation to continue what little reign of terror was possible. Nothing ever got too out of hand with the abundance of deceased fighters on the side of good. However, it seemed a disturbance beyond anything Frieza or Cell would bargain for had come to fruition.

"Those blasted miscreants down in HFIL just won't stay down will they?" complained a tall Kai. "How many times have Pikkon and Goku handled the rebellions down there already?" his deep voice muttered.

"Well, Southy! It looks like my Goku can clean house way better than any of your students can," bragged a nasally voice.

"Don't sing too loudly Northy. Pikkon was sure giving him a run for his money last time around," countered a not as nasally voice.

"Ha! Well, don't let your head swell too big, Mr. High and Mighty West Kai! He still hasn't beaten Goku yet!"

"Well, it won't be long! He'll come out on top sooner or later! You'll see."

"All right gentlemen! Let's focus on the task at hand yo?" called a voice trying to sound too cool for it's own good. They looked towards the bearded Kai from whom the voice originated. All eyes turned to the Grand Kai seated at the head of the conference table.

"Yes Lord Kai," they all spoke in unison.

"We're here to discuss the dimensional rift that's been forming as of late. As you all know, all those baddies down in HFIL would love nothing better than to bust out. Last time they conspired something so extravagant, they indeed managed to make a tear between dimensions with their combined strength. Thankfully, with the help of all the strong fighters around here and our efficient maintenance crew, we managed to round all those punks up and patch up the hole. Unfortunately, those idiots had no idea of the repercussions. Their attempt to bust out has created an imbalance between the dimensions that we obviously couldn't fix."

"Which brings us to the problem at hand," King Kai spoke up.

"Exactly. Normally, when a dimensional imbalance occurs, we tip the scales so to speak. We find the source of the imbalance and eliminate it. However, the highest ranking in the hierarchy of Kais and myself had not confirmed the source of the imbalance until now. Does the name Neeros ring a bell?" A look of fear mixed with panic etched itself across all seated at the table.

"Impossible! That tyrant was sealed away by the Supreme Kai two millennium ago!" retorted West Kai. "What does HE have to do with this fiasco?"

"He is precisely the reason for this dimensional imbalance. He is the ONE source of it actually."

"How could he produce enough power to create a shift in the dimensional balance? It doesn't seem possible," muttered East Kai.

"It appears that the tear between HFIL and Other World weakened the seal on the dimension he was locked away in. It was all the leeway he needed and he has been able to continue to weaken the seal as he continues to pour his energy into it. His power has obviously grown exponentially since his imprisonment, and he has sought for revenge, biding his time until he felt his power was strong enough. It is this surge of power from him weakening the seal that has caused the imbalance."

"But that means to be rid of this imbalance we would have to eliminate HIM! We can't touch him and he can't touch as while the seal is in place!" thundered South Kai.

"Precisely. And no matter how you put things, we're royally screwed. You dig? This imbalance threatens the security of ALL dimensions, because it required the strength of all the seals to contain this bad boy. If given time, he WILL eventually break his seal, and this will cause every other seal to break. Once that happens, there will be no borders between the world of the living and the dead."

"So it'll merely be a repeat of the Janemba incident?" asked King Kai.

"Yes, but worse. Once Janemba was killed, his power over dimensions ceased to exist. Once he was dead, the borders between all dimensions reformed and everything was brought back to normal. If everything falls apart due to Neeros breaking free, there won't be any quick fixes. The whole universe will be in turmoil and it could take years before we restored the borders between all dimensions. Every piece of trash that ever walked would come back and would have nowhere to go even in death. They could do as they please, coming back again and again to terrorize those they had terrorized in past lifes."

"Well, we could cancel the seal before he breaks it, preventing the immediate cancelation of all dimensional borders," offered King Kai

"Yes, we could definitely do that. However, we would have to deal with Neeros as soon as he was released. It's a gamble anyway, because with him out of imprisonment, he could easily generate enough power to destroy the borders between dimensions eventually. Don't forget that this was his original intention."

"Then what are we supposed to do?" snorted West Kai. "All hell will break loose no matter what choice we make! If his power has grown this much, then no one, not even Goku and Pikkon together can take care of him!"

"I believe I can bring clarity to this situation," commented a calm yet commanding voice. A short purple man with a white mohawk stepped into the room. Everyone immediately looked up in recognition. He smiled an unreadable smile.

Meanwhile at the Son residence, an intense afternoon spar was concluding.

"Hiya!" cried a young Saiyan boy. Goten lunged for one last attack. Gohan easily blocked the kick that the semi-Saiyan launched at him. Goten followed up with a series of punches that Gohan also blocked with ease. He lunged one last time only to have his hand pushed to the side as Gohan sidestepped simultaneously. With Goten's right side vulnerable, Gohan set an elbow into Goten's ribs followed up by a forceful but not damaging punch to his face. The impact still knocked Goten to the ground. He sat dazed while he rubbed his chin.

"That was pretty good for today squirt. You've grown more aggressive in your attack, but you still need to be more calculative. Don't just rush in headfirst. The enemy can take advantage of that and hit any openings that you can be sure you're leaving open when you do that."

"Okay! But am I getting stronger yet?"

"Yes Goten! You're much stronger than when you started training. I can see a drastic improvement in your control over your ki as well. But I think dinner is almost ready. Let's head to over to the house."

"Okay! I'm going to get there before you and eat everything up!"

"Yeah, I'd like to see mom let you do that!" Gohan called to him as he ran towards the good smells wafting from the kitchen window. "Man, that kid is something else. Wait a minute. What's that?" Gohan's senses began to take off in a thousand directions. He looked around wildly and just as soon as the feeling came, it went away. _"What was that? I've never felt anything like it before. It just appeared and disappeared in an instant. What ever it was, it can't be good."_ Gohan joined his family rather somberly at the dinner table and didn't mention a thing to anybody. _"I don't want anyone to worry about it. I'll talk to Piccolo and Vegeta about it tomorrow."_ He went to bed restless and slept even more restlessly that night.

Meanwhile, Videl was also laying in bed restless. She had far less urgent, but no less important issues to deal with. At least in her mind they were that important and they revolved around a spiky haired teen.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three; Well Wasn't That Awkward?

Somehow, despite every possible vexation in his mind troubling him, Gohan finally slept that night. He awoke with a clear resolve the next morning. If something bad was going to happen, he wasn't going to take the blame for not being ready.

He headed out to start his day with training, beginning with warm-ups, moving on to some exercises, then he shadow sparred and polished up form and techniques for an hour. The final bit of training that had become the conclusion of his training routine was the control over mental abilities.

His mental control over ki manipulation had improved over the past week, and he had begun to be able to break apart the large boulders into smaller pieces. The next step was to break those pieces into smaller pieces and maintain the same maneuvering control as before. This time he was trying his hand at sixteen pieces. He levitated them and moved them all in a different fashion from one another, being careful to keep each one in a clear trajectory away from the other pieces. After this became exhausting and he could no longer concentrate he relaxed and let the pieces fall to the ground. A look of satisfaction graced his face. He had again made a greater leap from the previous morning.

_"Piccolo! I've improved yet again. My skill is threefold since last month!"_ Gohan spoke with his mental link shared between him and Piccolo.

_"Excellent Gohan. This is remarkable progress, but it's to be expected from someone as studious as you. Soon your capacity for mental communication will improve and you'll be able to do this with people other than me."_

_"Wow, that's great. By the way, did you feel that strange presence last night?"_

_"I did. It felt sinister beyond comprehension. Not only was it foreboding, but powerful."_

_"I thought as much. I'm talking to Vegeta about it to. I think we should round up the whole gang and meet up at the lookout later."_

_"My thoughts exactly. Be careful kid. None of us should relax while whatever it is producing that force is around._

_"'Will do. See you later." _He broke the link and headed to the house to wash up.

"Good morning Gohan. How was your training?" Chichi asked while standing over a hot stove.

"It went well mom. By the way, I have to meet up with some friends over the afternoon. I promise I'll be back in time for dinner."

"Very well Gohan. Just be sure you finish your homework before the end of the day. Okay?"

"Yes mom. I'm going to wash up now. I'll be right back," He showered and dressed quickly then joined his family at the breakfast table.

"Hey Gohan! Are we sparring later?" asked Goten?

"Nah squirt. I've got some business to attend to with some friends after school. I promise we'll have a good sparring session tomorrow."

"Oh, okay. Well that'll give me time to figure how I'm going to win tomorrow!" deducted Goten triumphantly.

"Oh, I don't think so Goten," interjected Chichi. "You won't be spending this whole afternoon working on your fighting. I've got some studying for you to do."

"Aw, but mom!"

"No 'buts' young man. You can practice as soon as you're done, but if not..." she paused and looked at her dreaded frying pan. Goten quickly got the message.

"Yes mom!" he answered obediently. Just the thought of the dreaded tool of Saiyan punishment made his head sore. Many tender bumps from the past all came back at once to haunt him.

"Smart choice squirt." Gohan said as he ruffled his brother's hair. "Don't worry bro. It won't be that bad."

"Okay," Goten sounded a bit put off. Breakfast was finished quickly and Gohan blasted off to school. He contemplated how he could take being stuck in school for so long. He liked hanging out with his friends, but there were more important matters to take care of. He didn't lying about what he was doing to his mom either, but it would raise too much panic to tell her what he was really doing.

"Let's see. If I can just avoid tipping Videl off and keep the confrontations down to one, school should be manageable," Gohan chuckled to himself. The humor was short lived as he entered the city. He spied a mugging in a secluded alley not long after his humorous thought. Quickly disguising himself with the button on his watch, he descended upon the scene making his grand entrance.

"Please! Don't hurt me!" pleaded the man being mugged.

"Just give me the freaking money you wuss." The thug closed in on his victim with a knife in hand.

"I'd leave him alone if I were."

"Oh yeah? Well what are you gonna do about it? Why don't I just knife you both and-eh?" he turned around and turned pale. "Sa-Saiyaman! It was a mistake! I won't do it again!"

"No you won't." Gohan said in a low voice. The man's respect for human life pissed him off. He fazed out of view and dispatched him with a single chop to the neck. Then he picked up the offending object, which was soon to be a murder weapon. He crushed it into powder and through it into the wind.

"Thanks Saiyaman! I owe you one. I could have been a goner back there."

"No need for thanks, citizen! I'm just doing my duty in protecting this city and the innocent!" He struck a silly pose and deepened his voice to a cheesy tone.

"Um, yeah, well thanks anyway," said the unimpressed man. "I guess I'll call the cops so they can pick this guy up."

"I wise decision young citizen. I bid you farewell!" with that, he flew off to school. The near mug victim watched him leave with a giant sweat drop on his head.

_"He sure is a strong noble guy, but what a geek! Of course I'm not the one who would say that to his face."_

Gohan landed safely on the roof and made his way to class. He still had less than ten minutes before it started.

"Good. I'll be early today." Gohan was too enthused over this revelation to notice a girl with raven pigtails about to bump into him.

"Oof! Watch where you're go-oh! Sorry Gohan." She looked down while she said it. He was taken aback by her apology.

"It's okay Videl, but isn't class in this direction?" he said pointing in the direction he was headed.

"Oh yeah. I must have overshot. I was thinking about something."

"Really? What could have distracted you enough to miss the door?" Videl's face hardened at his inquisitive nature. She didn't appreciate his sudden curiosity.

"Why do you want to know!? Who said it was any of your business? Are you suddenly interested in the people around you for a change?" Gohan was again taken aback by her change in demeanor.

"I'm sorry. I was just curious. I'll leave you alone now." He walked towards their classroom. Videl softened as he left her alone. She knew there wasn't any need to blow the wind out of his sails.

"Wait," he turned as she called after him. She could see the hurt in his eyes and she felt guilty in knowing she had hurt him. It took her a moment to collect her thoughts. He shifted restlessly with downcast eyes as she gathered herself together. "I'm sorry for blowing up at you. I'm sorry for always blowing up at you and breathing down your neck about everything you do. I was thinking about you and how I've treated you." Gohan was shocked to say the least. She had really been thinking about him?

"You have?" was all he could say.

"Yes. I just want you to know, I'm sorry for not respecting your right to keep some parts of your life secret. It's no excuse, but you did make yourself seem pretty suspicious and I was simply trying to figure you out. I was too stubborn to quit pestering you and for that I was wrong. If I was in your position, I wouldn't have told me anything either. I see now, that you're not some shady guy who hides sinister secrets in the closet. You're just an awkward, well-meaning guy who has some stuff he isn't comfortable sharing with the rest of the world. I can respect that. So...friends?" She held out her hand. Gohan couldn't believe how things had turned around in the course of just a couple minutes. A smile slowly grew on his face.

"Sure," he said as he took her hand. She smiled too.

"Now let's go to class before we're late." She punched his arm playfully as she walked by. She waited for him to follow and they walked into class together.

"Oh Sharpner! Videl and Gohan are coming in together? What do you think it means?" The bubbly blonde was shaking the buff jock as she nearly hyperventilated at the sight.

"Knock it off Erasa! They were probably talking," said the dense and disinterested jock.

"Oh, you're no fun Sharpie!" said Erasa with a pout. "So Videl what's with the company you're keeping lately?" she asked as nodded at Gohan.

"Oh, me and Gohan here just made peace with each other. Right Gohan?"

"Yep. We sure did," answered a smiling Gohan

"Oh that's great! So now we can act like a normal group of friends without all the drama." She rolled her eyes as she said this. "But wait! You're sure you were just making peace, not making out, right?" The joke was only humorous to her.

"Shut up Erasa! How many times do I have to say that we're not like that!?" She failed miserably to hide the crimson shade her face had turned. Gohan also turned a bright shade of red. He couldn't help entertaining the thought in his head.

"Ooh, chill out girl! I'm just fooling around with you."

"Yeah whatever," growled Videl. "Take a seat, would you Gohan?" He had been hovering over them as he drifted into lala land.

"Oh right!" He shook his head of the lustful thoughts. _"Bad Gohan! Bad! Now is not the time!"_

_"Now is the perfect time! In fact, why don't you make fantasy a reality right now? You know she'd like it."_

_"Don't you ever quit?"_

_"Nope."_

_"Didn't think so."_

Luckily for Gohan, there wasn't a single bit of crime to combat during school. It meant that he could keep a low profile all day. It was turning out to be the best day of school Gohan had ever had.

Unfortunately, his hopes of gliding gracefully under the radar were dashed. He hadn't taken into account that a special guest would be in charge of gym that today. The school was introducing a new martial arts program and a top competitor in The World Martial Arts Tournament would be introducing it. There would be a mandatory meeting held during gym and the guest would be doing demonstrations during it. He knew that it would be any one of the Z fighters that competed who would be in charge of the program. They would certainly single HIM out for at least some of the demonstrations.

"Crap," muttered Gohan under his breathe.

"What, not into martial arts?" asked Videl curiously.

"Well, you could say I like it as a hobby, but not competitively." What he really meant was that he didn't like competing against humans because he could win against most of them just by breathing on them.

"Oh, I love it!" Videl had a gleam in her eyes while she spoke. "It gives me such a rush to test my abilities against someone else." Gohan smiled as she openly let her excitement show. They were about to enter the gym. The moment of truth was fast approaching. Who would be the special guest of the day? Would they give him a break?

_"Crap. Dende! You don't mind cutting me some slack do you?"_ A teenage Namek up in the sky yawned as he watered a plant. _"Thanks for having my back buddy."_ Gohan rolled his eyes, as he knew his friend all too well.

"Gohan, you don't look so well," commented Erasa with concern. He had broken a sweat and was obviously nervous by now.

"Ah, this must be nerd boy's achilles heal. Don't worry Gohan, they probably won't call you out."

"Sure Sharpner, you're probably right," Gohan halfheartedly agreed. _"Says you."_

"Ssh! Guys! It's starting!" Videl hushed her friends as she pointed at the opening doors on the other side of the gym. The guest had arrived. A tall, well-built, bald man entered. Another tall man with spiky hair and numerous scars accompanied him. Gohan froze when he saw them.

_"Tien AND Yamcha! They'll call me out for sure! There goes flying under the radar. I'll have to figure out how to play down my abilities. Even me messing around would impress most of the people here!"_ He didn't have time to ponder his escape plan. Yamcha began their introduction.

"Hey everybody! I'm sure you know why you're all here! Tien and I are both top competitors of The World Martial Arts Tournament. We'll be introducing a new program at your school that many other schools have picked up on. It's a martial arts class so to speak. Various levels of participation from beginner on up to advanced will be available. You take over Tien." Tien nodded to him and stepped forward.

"The beginner skill level will involve an introduction to those who have had no prior experience in martial arts of any kind. Some of the forms of it will be explained and you will learn various basic techniques useful for self-defense. The intermediate skill level will take those with some amount of experience in martial arts. Your techniques will be refined and you will learn to spar with those of differing disciplines. You will also learn training methods that will improve the effectiveness of your own private training. Finally, the advanced skill level will take those of the highest training or those who wish to move from intermediate to a more advanced level of skill. We will focus on the most difficult techniques and how to condition your bodies to an extreme level of fitness and endurance. Yamcha and me will provide instruction for the intermediate and advanced classes while another instructor will be provided for the beginner level. Are there any questions?"

"I have one." Videl raised her hand. Yamcha recognized her immediately and Tien followed suit after a moment.

"Yes, Ms. Satan?" Yamcha responded.

"Will there be any competitions?"

"Yes, the highest levels of this class will signup for a team. Regular competitions will be held against skilled teams from other schools. Anyone else?"

"Can you give us a demonstration?" Sharpner asked. Yamcha and Tien both sported a smirk.

"Of course!" Yamcha nodded at Tien. They both got into fighting stances and stared each other off for a moment.

_"They have such polished stances. I can't see any immediate holes in their defense." _Videl marveled at their skill.

Tien took the initiative and launched an attack that Yamcha easily blocked. They both traded attacks, never getting through each other's defenses. It was only obvious to Gohan that they were holding back.

_"This is snail's pace for them. If they really were going at it, they would just be a blur of color."_

The friendly spar continued for another minute. They both gracefully moved in what seemed like a dance. Pushing a blow aside, blocking a kick, sidestepping an attack. They concluded the spar as they simultaneously punched each other, the force of it sending them flying a few feet backwards. They both landed gracefully as they flipped and landed in their feet. They were both unable to contain a smirk as that lost move had been done for theatrical purposes. They bowed to signal it had ended.

The gymnasium erupted into a loud applause. Everyone was clearly impressed by the skill that both fighters had displayed. Videl was floored at the spar she had just witnessed.

_"They were both holding back. It was just a friendly spar to demonstrate techniques, but it was so GOOD. Usually, these demonstrations are so mechanical and look so canned." _She mused while in the stupor of being so impressed.

"Would anybody want to see how you match up? There's still a few minutes left and it'll just be for fun," Yamcha offered. A few hands, including Sharpner's and Videl's went up. Yamcha quickly spied Gohan and locked eyes with him.

_"Crap! They found me!"_

"Gohan! How's it going? How about you help out for this next demonstration?" This was met by a collective murmur and gasp from the student body. 'How do THEY know GOHAN' could be heard from some of the students in his classes.

"Sure." He stood up and put a stoic look on his face. _"Screw the low profile." _His Saiyan side began to take over. Videl looked on with much curiosity.

_"How do they know Gohan? Is he actually good for them to call him out like that?"_

"Some of you don't know this, but we actually competed with Gohan's father in the tournaments. Gohan is the son of the former Martial Arts Champion, Son Goku!" This was met with more shock from the student body. "If some of you doubt, Gohan is every bit as good his father, if not better."

"I didn't exactly set out to be as big of a celebrity as Videl over there," Gohan commented while lowering into a fighting stance. "I guess I'll have to take out the inconvenience on you both." Tien smirked as he and Yamcha lowered into their stances.

"Go easy on us will you?" Gohan's smirk grew even more.

"Sure."

"What are they doing!" Erasa shrieked. "Both of them together would cream him into next week!"

"Quiet Erasa!" barked Sharpner. "I want to see what nerd boy can do!"

They're argument was cut short as the fighters charged each other. Tien and Yamcha both launched a kick at Gohan, which he ducked easily. He fell backwards and countered their kicks, sending his own kicks solidly into their backs. They recovered quickly and launched a second wave of kicks from opposing sides. Gohan stood calmly right at the nexus of their kicks and caught them. Then they launched into ferocious hand to hand, but Gohan easily maintained control, keeping both fighters at bay. His defenses were too quick to allow any attack to get through and he always managed to land a blow whilst remaining in his zone of defense.

Gohan's friends were floored to say the least. Erasa simply gawked as she attempted to process the sight before her. Sweet, innocent, bookish Gohan was kicking some serious tail! Sharpner looked on eagerly with mixed feelings of respect and jealousy. Who knew nerd boy was really so physical and athletic? Gohan had stripped down to his undershirt and exposed much of his sculpted body. The muscles on his fighter's body were all on proud display. Videl watched with a hard expression on her face.

_"I don't know if I'm THAT good. How did Gohan get so skilled? He must have started training since he was a toddler! I know I agreed he has a right to his privacy, but something isn't right. He isn't as harmless as I thought." _Her musings were interrupted as the spar dramatically concluded.

"Hiya!" cried Gohan as he halted their attacks. He stunned them with quick blows to the faces then sent Tien flying with a sidekick. He launched his knee into Yamcha's face sending, landing him next to Tien. The fighters all faced each other and bowed to signal the conclusion, a friendly smile on their faces.

The crowd all stood in stunned silence. Had Gohan just bested two competitors of The World Martial Arts Tournament at the same time? The silence was obviously a delayed reaction as a thunderous applause slowly grew in the room. Tien and Yamcha stood on both sides of Gohan and lifted his arms.

"What good is a low profile dude?" teased Yamcha. "You'll have an easier time with the ladies now that they know you're smart AND strong."

"Sure Yamcha, sure."

"You're father would be proud of you. You've become a powerful yet kind and gentle young man," complimented Tien.

"Thanks Tien." A solemn look grew on Gohan's face as he thought about his father. He had sworn an oath never to stray from one path to the other. He would be the protector of Earth, but he would be smart and educated as well. He missed his father, but knew he was proud of him. It made him happy to still be able to make his mother proud. Suddenly he remembered a more urgent matter. "Oh guys, we need to head to the lookout later."

"Yeah, we know. Everyone knows actually so we'll all be there. Don't get distracted." Yamcha looked over at Videl who was eyeing him intently. He gave him a clap on the shoulder as he let him go.

"Don't worry! I won't." Gohan was now beet red in the face.

"Wow, that was great Gohan! We had no idea!" Erasa gushed as he walked up.

"Yeah dude! To think you had such a wicked cool background. You might be a nerd, but you're no shrimp!"

"Thanks guys." He gulped as he awaited Videl's reaction.

"We'll talk later," was her only reply. Gohan could only wonder what that meant.

"Don't worry dude! The truth is out and she's probably mad that you can give her a run for her money. She's competitive like that."

"I hope you're right," mumbled Gohan as he slipped off to his next class.

"Still think she isn't at least a little interested in him? I bet she likes him." The bubbly blonde couldn't help noting this for the nth' time.

"Maybe," Sharpner grudgingly agreed.

"Psh, you just can't believe she could turn you down last year and would like Gohan over you."

"Shut up about that would you?"

"Sure thing Sharpie!" Erasa said as she patted him on the head.

"Hey watch the hair!" complained the vain jock.

School let out shortly and Gohan exited the building to find Videl waiting for on the sidewalk. She looked up upon his arrival.

"What's up Videl? I guess you want to talk now?" Gohan prepared to shield himself from the daggers that were usually thrown when they 'talked'.

"Smart boy." She paused and appeared to be thinking for a moment. "You know, that was some serious skill you showed back there. Where did you get it? How did you get so good?"

"I've been training since I was four."

"How have I known you for two months without even knowing you KNEW martial arts, let alone was so skilled at it?"

"Well come on Videl. It's not like I'm going to say 'I am a freaking beast at martial arts! Look at this!' to everyone I meet. Now you know why I kept a low profile. My father is world renown and still respected even though he no longer holds the title. Revealing my background would have got me more attention than I wanted." He let his words sink in for a moment.

"What happened to your father? No one really heard about him after he won. Only reports that he lived in the mountains with a wife and child came out." Gohan looked down at his feet as she asked the question. It still hurt to think about it.

"He died. He was killed in a fight seven years ago." Videl looked at him with a mixture of compassion and guilt.

"I'm sorry Gohan. That really explains a lot. I didn't know I was stirring up so much in hounding you about your secrets. Will you forgive me?" It hurt to think about his father, but he couldn't help but smile at her concern for him.

"I think I can manage that." She smiled as he said this. She didn't know why but she felt the urge to hold him. She wrapped her arms around him and he returned the hug.

_"I don't know why, but this feels so good. It feels right."_

_"Why is she hugging me? I guess she feels sorry for me. It feels good though."_

_"Of course it does!"_

_"You know if I could gag you I would."_

_"Aww, don't be like that!"_

They pulled apart and awkward silence ensued.

"You smell good. You know that?" It was the first thing Gohan could think of. Videl giggled at his silliness.

"Thanks...I guess I'll see you in school then. Bye!"

"Bye Videl!" He watched her as she decapsuled her jetcopter and took off. When he was sure no one was in sight, he took flight towards the lookout.

Meanwhile, in what appeared to be nearly a totally dark room, a small hole barely the size of a need point let light in. A figure shrouded in all the darkness was sitting near this hole in deep meditation. If anyone else were to accompany the occupant, even lacking the ability sense ki wouldn't have stopped you from feeling it. The force was unbelievably strong and all focused on the tiny opening in the wall.

"Soon, very soon, I will extract my revenge on those damnable Kais and all who dare side with them. Then all my plans will come to fruition." A sinister chuckle escaped his lips.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4; The World Will End Next Year, Just Act Normal

Gohan was a very happy guy to see the least while he was flying to the lookout. It was almost enough to forget he was heading to discuss a possible threat to the universe. Granted it wasn't like Videl had confessed her undying love to him, but her display of affection to him was a great start indeed. Yes, he was ready to admit he definitely had a thing for her.

_"Now let's not get carried away Gohan. We're just friends after all. It's not like she feels the same way."_

_"Are you kidding!? She was all over you earlier! Then she giggled like one of those giddy bimbos when you complimented her SCENT! Have you forgotten that this is the tough, anti-boy, tomboy known as Videl Satan!?"_

_"..."_

_"What? You're giving me the silent treatment now? Well as long as you're half Saiyan, I'll be right here for the rest of your life buddy! You better learn how to invent mental earplugs. I'm gonna be on your tail until you DIE!"_

_"..."_

_"Little princess."_

His Saiyan side was mercifully silent for the rest of trip. With the distraction of Videl Satan out of his mind, he focused on the dilemma at hand. What was that strange energy he and most of the Z gang had felt? Did it mean that Earth was in danger again? Was another maniacal, power-hungry foe on the rise? Could they ever go more than a few years without some weirdo coming out of the woodwork? That last question was probably pushing it, but Gohan had a feeling they wouldn't like the answers to the brewing situation in front of them.

He made it to the lookout in less than an hour and found the gang already gathered together. They were all waiting in the courtyard by the gardens. All of them had a serious expression on their face. It definitely wasn't a social call.

"Hey guys! I'm not late am I?"

"Hey Gohan!" Krillin greeted him. "No, we all haven't been here long. In fact, Dende is still inside, getting details from King Kai." The formerly bald monk pointed with his thumb to the entrance of the lookout palace.

"Oh, I see."

"So Gohan, how did it go with that girl?" Yamcha questioned obnoxiously. He was successful in eliciting the response he desired. He grinned as Gohan shot him a death glare and turned a lovely shade of red.

"Shut up Yamcha! It's not like that!"

"Alright! Easy tiger. It's just a joke."

"It's not funny." Gohan turned away while glowering.

"Whoa! Wait a second! Gohan was talking to a girl? This I have to hear!" The former monk was grinning from ear to ear.

"Come on guys! We're just classmates. She's a fighter too so she was interested in how I became so good." Gohan was getting exasperated now.

"Oh, a fighter eh? Sounds like a good match already!" This was met by a collective chuckle from all the other gang. Only Vegeta wasn't amused.

"Will you shut up already?"

"As much as this is amusing, I agree," Dende said as he walked up to the group. "Time to get down to business. King Kai will speak to us all directly. I have already been informed due to regulations concerning my guardian status. I can tell you that this isn't good at all." His mouth was in a grim line as said this.

_"No it is not,"_ agreed King Kai. _"You are all gathered here due to the strange energy you all felt. I am going to explain whose energy it was and what this means for you and nearly everyone in existence. The energy belongs to an individual by the name of Neeros. Neeros is a fallen Kai of unimaginable power. It is the closest one can imagine to being omnipotent. His powers are truly monstrous._

"What!?" exclaimed Vegeta as it got his attention.

_"I'm glad you're listening Vegeta. It's no joke. He is probably the only being to have reached a power level that is nearly immeasurable._

"So how exactly does it concern us?" asked Piccolo.

_"I must explain the origins of Neeros and how it applies to now for it to make sense. Neeros didn't always have such monstrous power. He was always exceptionally strong and was humble in his strength in the beginning. It was because of his strength and humility that he was chosen to be the protector of the Land of Kais and the cosmos. It was a job he took on eagerly and he trained rigorously to always be worthy of such a momentous task. He trained so well that his strength could never be competed with. Many challenged him and none were victorious. _

_Unfortunately, his strength began to get to his head. He began to feel like he was unbeatable. One day, an opponent of great power challenged him. He was the typical villain that aspired to take over everything and everyone. Thankfully, Neeros defeated him. However, the fight was a close one. It left Neeros shaken, for no one had ever been so difficult for him to defeat. He began to take an unhealthy training regiment. He ate only when on the verge of starvation. He slept only when he passed out from exhaustion. He would recover and his strength would have increased by an extraordinary amount, then he would repeat the process again. Month by month, his powers grew. Year by year, he kept up this training. We one day managed to persuade him that he had become so strong that he could take on a more relaxed schedule. We feared that despite how great his powers were becoming the tax on his health would be the end of him. He indeed began to slow down as the evidence of his improvement eased his paranoia. _

_We thought that was the end of it and that our old Neeros had come back. We were wrong. The manifold increase in power took what humility he had gained from his nearly losing. He flaunted it endlessly. He gloried in his power and nearly worshiped himself. One day, just for his own satisfaction, he decided to power up fully for the rush of it. At first we simply were annoyed at his vanity, but soon the stress of all his outpouring energy became dangerous. The very planet and even surrounding planets were in danger of literally breaking apart. He literally cracked the sky as he began to strain the very border of our dimension. We shouted for him to stop and look at what he was doing. He indeed looked and was frightened at what he was doing. We simply left him off with a warning and assumed he had learned his lesson. His own vanity and pride had blinded him more than we could know._

_His own power scared him at first. Then it gave him sick satisfaction that he alone had the power to wipe out the entire universe. He became angry with us for daring to 'dictate' what he could do with his own power. As an act of defiance he murdered five Kais then deemed himself a god. He set out to do exactly what he had we had warned him not to do. As he gathered the power it would take, we knew we had to act quickly. The Kai over every quadrant, including myself bound him temporarily with all of our strength. Then the Supreme Kai cast a sealing spell on him. We saw it as a fitting punishment to seal him away within the border of our dimension. As the final touch for his punishment we took away his need for food or water. This way he could never die as long as no one killed him. He would be damned to his own personal hell, knowing that for all his great power, he would be stuck in his prison for all eternity."_

"This is all well and good, but how in blazes are we feeling him if he is stuck in this prison between dimensions?" Vegeta asked crankily.

_"Unfortunately, we ourselves were arrogant when we sealed him away. It is possible for someone or a group of people to gather enough energy to crack the seal of one dimension temporarily. Those in HFIL had figured this out and had hatched an escape plan. Thankfully, Goku and the rest of our fighters prevented such an event from happening. Unfortunately, they had already opened the temporary crack in their dimension. We ignored it at first, but to our horror, we discovered that Neeros had taken advantage of it. His seal had weakened, because it is tied to all other seals. That's how it is strong enough to contain him. Since the seal on HFIL is so close, it weakened his seal enough for him to make a small hole. Now that the hole is opened, it is too late. He is either going to break the barrier or we can undo it for him. Since the latter would foolish, we are letting him do it himself as we bide our time."_

"So that's where we come in?" asked Gohan.

_"Yes Gohan. We need to use this time as a means to prepare for the calamity that is coming as we speak. It will take an entire year for him to completely destroy his seal. Do not grow confidant because you have so much time. The chances of a year being an adequate amount of time are slim at best."_

"Then what are we supposed to do?" asked Tien.

_"Do whatever you can to train and maintain your usual routines. We do not want to raise a panic so it is imperative that you keep this information to yourselves. We are preparing our fighters in Other World as we speak. When they're training is complete, we will summon you to our dimension for your training."_ He let the information sink for a moment. _"I just want you to know that this is a grave situation not only because of Neeros, but because of what will happen after he escapes. When he breaks his seal, it will set of a chain reaction that will destroy all barriers between worlds. You know the immediate implications of this. There are some old friends waiting in HFIL who would be eager to cause some chaos upon escape. However, as time progresses, without a means of separating the dimensions, they will eventually blur into one. When that happens, all that remains will be a void of nothingness. There is no telling what will immediately happen to every living creature in the universe. However, we can promise that everyone will eventually die with nothing to sustain life in the void. We cannot let this happen." _This left everyone listening speechless. _"I bid everyone farewell and good luck."_

A heavy silence filled the air as the realization of just how dire the situation was sank in. Everyone could only wear a look of perplexity as they pondered over it.

"There's no need to mince words," Vegeta finally spoke. "Everyone will continue their own training regiment and daily routines just as the old Kai says. If anyone hasn't used the Time Chamber to it's maximum capacity, I recommend you finish up. We'll all need it." Vegeta's solemn attitude stunned everyone. It wasn't like the arrogant prince to be so serious and direct without the usual bravado. "Don't get the wrong impression. It would be an embarrassment to the Prince of Saiyans if those who would fight alongside him didn't try their hardest as I will surely be trying mine." His signature cocky grin was painted on his face. "Hell will freeze over before I let some freak destroy me and everything around me." With that, he blasted off to Capsule Corporation. There was no doubt the first thing he would be doing would be to hit the GR.

"Vegeta is right. Now isn't the time to plunge into the depths of despair. " Piccolo looked around at everybody as he spoke. "This isn't the first time a dire situation has popped up. I'd like it very much if we don't let it be the last." Everyone nodded at this and went their separate ways.

_"I'm going to have to tell my mom somehow."_ Gohan wondered how he was going to get away with the necessary training that was required of him. _"She's going to have to find out eventually before I get spirited away. Now isn't the right time though."_

It was nearly time for dinner when Gohan arrived at his house. Gohan could smell the delicious food cooking in the kitchen as he walked into the door.

"Oh! You're home just in time. Did you have fun with your friends?" She turned and greeted him as she was stirring some soup.

"Yeah, I had a pretty good time. Just a mandatory group project, but it's fun to hang out." He didn't like lying, but this wasn't the best time to discuss the discovery of another threat to the universe. He could just picture the shrieking it would induce. Then she would be nothing but paranoid for the remainder of the whole year. Yes, she would need to be sitting down for 'the talk'.

"That's good. Why don't you call your brother and help set the table? Put some bowls out too. We're having soup with our dinner

"Sure thing mom. Hey Goten!" Gohan rounded up his brother and they set the table. They sat and relaxed for the rest of the evening, as they let Chichi's scrumptious cooking settle in their content stomachs.

"By the way Gohan, a girl called here earlier," said Chichi as she stacked dishes in the sink. He perked up at the new information. "She said her name was Videl and she was a classmate."

"Really? What did she want?" Gohan tried to contain himself as he registered the news.

"Oh, she wanted to talk to you, but you weren't home. She wanted to know if you wanted to hang out with her and some of your friends this weekend. I told her that I would let you know. You know, I'm not fond of girls calling boys, but she seemed nice enough. She wouldn't happen to be that girl who was upset about you not being more open would she?" Gohan immediately turned red.

"Uh, well, yes."

"I recommend you take her up on her offer. You don't get invited to many social events. Also, I think she has a bit of a crush on you." Gohan started coughing as he was swallowing his beverage.

"What makes you think that?" Gohan managed to get out albeit raspy. He pounded his chest trying to get the liquid down.

"Gohan, what have I told your about your manners?" Chichi frowned, oblivious that she had caused him to nearly choke. "Anyway, I can tell you that I wouldn't be so interested in a boy this much unless I at least had a bit of a crush on him. She sounds a bit stubborn and probably doesn't even realize it yet."

"You're probably just thinking about it too much mom. But, I guess I can hang out this weekend. It's still early enough, so I'll call her back."

"Okay, but could you finish these dishes first? It's only fair since I cook and wash the breakfast dishes. It'll still be early enough."

"Alright mom." He quickly (as quickly as possible) washed the mountain of pots, pans, and dinner dishes in the sink. As soon as he was done he stared at the phone, building up the nerve to call Videl back. He felt a mixture of guilt and nervousness. _"I should be doing more important things. Training should be my top priority right now! What am I doing? Well, it's not like I goof off all the time. Considering the circumstances maybe I should enjoy myself a little bit. Okay, no big deal. Just call her up and say 'I'd like to hangout! Thanks for inviting me!' Why am I so nervous? She already called me." _He finally dialed in the call back number Chichi had left for him.

"Hello?" Came a male voice on the other end.

"This is Gohan. I'm a friend of Videl. She called earlier about something?"

"Ah yes. I'll get her right away." Gohan waited for a moment.

"Hello?" Came Videl's voice.

"Hey. You called about inviting me to hang out?"

"Oh yeah. Me, Erasa, and Sharpner are going to head to the mall then watch movies at my place. How about it?"

"Sure, that sounds great!"

"Alright then! I'll see you at school. Then we're all hanging out on Saturday."

"Great! By the way, who answered the phone earlier?"

"Oh, that was Chad, our butler."

"Oh yeah, don't know why I didn't think about that. I mean you ARE pretty rich and everything. Silly me." She giggled on the other line.

"I have to agree with Gohan. You are pretty silly, but it's okay. I think we can put up with it."

"Gee, thanks. Okay, I've got to go. See you."

"Okay, bye."

Gohan exhaled deeply as he put the phone back on the charger. There was no harm done and the bombs hadn't dropped, a good sign. His mother was peering from around the corner. She quickly went back to her room before her son noticed her.

"It won't be long now. And did I here him say she was RICH? Gohan better keep his eye on this one." She was unaware or perhaps had merely forgotten in the moment, that Gohan could sense exactly where she was and here most of what she was saying. He shook his head in humor at his mother's shamelessness. Since Videl was a girl who wasn't a bimbo, she already had approval. Her having money only sealed the deal. He predicted the gushing over marriage and grandchildren would start any day.

_"Hmmm, conceiving a few would be pretty fun."_

_"Not if I cut off your 'conceiving tool' buddy."_

_"Have you forgotten that 'tool' belongs to you?"_

_"..."_

_"The silent treatment again eh?"_

_"Why can't you just shut up?"_

_"I'm you idiot! You shut me up!"_

_"Oh yeah...oops."_

Gohan shook his head as the strange conversation in his head ended. For the past few months, a separate personality that somehow was under his control had made it's home in his head. It's own personality was so strong that he forgot he could control it most of the time.

"Maybe Vegeta would know something about it if know one else does." He decided to go to bed early that night.

Meanwhile in Other World, two fighters sparred rather intensely. Shockwaves rocked the air as they clashed at speeds faster than untrained eyes could see. One of the fighters, dressed in a familiar orange gi appeared. He tauntingly beckoned his green sparring partner to make the next move. Pikkon flew towards Goku, intending to engage in midair hand-to-hand. His punch appeared to go straight into Goku's face and right through the back of his head. The after image faded from view, leaving Pikkon stunned for a moment.

"Over here!" Goku's left foot crashed into Pikkon's face almost as soon as he spoke. His confusion didn't give him enough time to defend against the Saiyan. He managed to recover midflight but feigned hurt as Goku flew towards him to follow up his attack. As soon as Goku drew near, Pikkon shot a ki blast at close range. Goku could only bring up his arms to his face and lightly shield himself with his ki. A small explosion engulfed Goku, but did no harm to him. Pikkon took advantage of the smoke cover to charge up a stronger ki attack. He raised both hands behind his head then aimed them at Goku. A large blast streamed from his hands towars the figure shrouded in smoke. The clearing smoke prevented him from seeing it coming until it was very close. There was only time to bring both hands up to block the incoming attack.

"Pikkon has your boy pinned down Northy!"

"Shut up! It isn't over yet!" The shameless Kais used each sparring match as a contest. Goku always gained the upper hand in every match, and much to King Kai's chagrin, West Kai would never admit defeat.

"Hiyaah!" Goku yelled as he built up power. His hands glowed blue as he prepared to deflect the large ball of ki. Soon an even larger ki blast erupted from Goku's hands, sending Pikkon's attack into the sky. They both watched as the large beam crashed into a small floating planet. A large explosion lit up the sky and thundered for miles, causing every training fighter to stop and look at the source of noise.

"Whoa! Those two sure are getting hot to trot!" The Grand Kai watched the fight, very impressed. The Supreme Kai looked on with a frown.

"It still won't be enough." The Grand Kai frowned at the pessimistic comment and continued watching the spar. Pikkon had taken off the weights he wore and Goku had turned into a Super Saiyan.

_"This is bad if they aren't ready, even at this level, how much would it take? You guys better turn up the heat or we're all in for it._

Back on Earth, a teenage semi-Saiyan trained many miles from his house. Going to bed early proved to be a futile option as he could only toss and turn. Since sleep seemed to be such a foreign task, training was all too happy to oblige as an alternative. He had too much to lose to allow himself to sleep. The nightmare of seven years ago had brought all the memories coming back to him. The mistakes he had made that day had caused him the loss of a father. If the final hoorah was fast approaching, hell would freeze over before he allowed himself to lose everything over anything less than his dead body. He trained hard for an hour then trained even harder tot he point of exhaustion. He passed out and slept peacefully until morning. It was going to be fun explaining his injuries to Chichi in the morning.

Author's Note: Thanks for the bit of positive feedback even though this story is fairly new. I appreciate that a lot of you seem to be enjoying this. Things are a bit busy lately, what with me becoming an uncle recently. I'll try to put out a chapter every week, but no later than every other week. Thanks again!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5; Malls, Movies, and Crime?

Friday went by in a hurry and Saturday was here before anyone knew it. Gohan was just glad that he had escaped the mayhem that was Friday in one piece. There had been a few minor complications when Gohan had to explain why he had been found by Goten with torn clothes and many small injuries. After coaxing his mother into believing that the training wasn't as severe as she suspected and that his appearance was only because his clothes couldn't take it, he had the joyful task of avoiding being connected with Saiyaman all day. The crime had been particularly active that day and juggling class, his bathroom break charade, and Saiyaman's duties had been more of a nightmare as usual. To be alive at the end of the day was by itself, a cause for celebration, as far Gohan was concerned. Hanging out with friends was just a bonus.

"Now Gohan! You will conduct yourself like a gentleman and uphold a good reputation while with your friends. I'll have no tales of shenanigans being spread about you at your school. Do you understand?" His mother instructed him whilst giving every inch of him a once over.

"Yes mom. I understand. Now can I go?" He couldn't help but grin at Chichi's overbearing personality. She was too much sometimes.

"I suppose you can. Your clothes are just barely adequate, but I guess I'll let it slide this time." Gohan scratched his head as he looked down at his casual clothes. He had on a navy blue t-shirt tucked into jeans held up by a leather belt. Over his t-shirt he had on a lighter blue button up shirt with the sleeves folded up to his elbows. He had left it un-tucked and open.

"Gee, mom. I thought it looked pretty good. Besides, my friends and classmates look the same for the most part."

"Hmmph, well there's no sense of class amongst the youth lately. Very well, have it your way. I won't interfere with your dressing habits. Just don't expect to impress any girls if you decide look like some of the slobs I've seen."

"Well, I still have taste mom! Besides, who said I was trying to impress girls?" _"Should have shut up. Now I'm going to get her started on me finding a girlfriend. Stupid Gohan!"_

"I think you know who I'm talking about. One of these days, maybe you'll make a move on her." She turned and winked at him. Gohan wasn't stupid. He knew exactly to whom his mom was referring to. He turned red as he thought about it.

"Mom! Who said I even like her like that!?"

"Don't raise your voice at me young man! Now run along. You don't want to be late do you?" She waved him off in the direction of the door

"Yes mom." Gohan was still red as he exited and took off.

"Bye Gohan! See you later!" Goten waved as he called after his brother.

"See ya Goten! Don't drive mom up the wall!" Goten grinned and scratched his head at those words. He knew better than to provoke the wrath of Chichi's frying pan.

"Alright Goten! Come inside for now. We'll go over to Capsule Corp. later to play with Trunks."

"Okay mom!" The extremely cheerful and very hyper half-Saiyan obediently came inside as he was told. It had been a few weeks since he had played with Trunks. He didn't want risk changing her mind.

Meanwhile, a certain teen Saiyan flew at a relaxed speed to the mall. It was still 10:00 in the morning. The plan was to meet up at 10:30 and spend a couple hours in the mall. After lunch they would head to Videl's house for a couple movies. He was for the most part, excited. However, some tension was bubbling underneath the surface. The more he convinced himself that it was going to be a fun day with friends, the more he was plagued with scenarios of how the day could go wrong. By the time he had landed and taken out a capsule car to pull into the parking lot, he was sweating as he fretted over the possibilities.

"Crap. I'm almost here. Get it together Gohan. Everyone is going to see I'm freaking out. What's to freak out over? Everything is going to fine. I'm sure crime will be inactive and I won't have to be Saiyaman today." He had no choice, but to put on a smile and hope he was right. He had to park and his friends were already waiting.

"Hey Gohan! You finally made it! Hurry up would you?" An excited Erasa waved enthusiastically at him.

"Yeah dude! We don't to keep these two waiting. It could get ugly." Sharpner failed to see their female companions were less than amused at his humor.

"Sorry guys. I'll be right there!" He quickly parked and joined his waiting companions. "So where to then?"

"Oh, you poor thing. You've never been shopping with these girls have you? Somehow, in the space of three hours, we'll cover most of the noteworthy parts of the mall. We'll come in empty handed and probably be leaving with enough bags to fill up one of our trunks."

"Oh, sounds great." In truth, Gohan had no idea how he really felt about THAT.

"Are you guys done talking yet? Let's go shopping!"

"Right behind ya," added Videl.

"Here goes, Gohan. You might be a world class fighter, but if you've never done this before then brace yourself."

"Gee thanks. I'm looking forward to it so much now." A hint of sarcasm colored Gohan's voice as he responded.

Sharpner was true to his word as they spent what seemed like ages in the major stores in the mall. The girls would spend nearly half an hour trying to decide between two items before reaching a verdict, sometimes asking for an opinion from the guys. Sharpner could have cared less and responded with a bland 'looks great' while Gohan always gave an honest and sometimes constructively critical comment on the item under scrutiny. What was really surprising to Gohan about the ordeal was how loose Videl seemed as she enjoyed herself in the mall. She didn't seem to be the girl that enjoyed shopping, but today was proving that she indeed had a femine side. They seemed to be taking the longest at the last store before they ate lunch.

"So guys! What do you think?" The girls had come out of the dressing room, clad in the last out of three things to choose from. They were both wearing casual, not overly formal dresses. It had taken some coaxing from Erasa, but Videl had grudgingly agreed to try one on. It was a short one at that!

"Looks fine to me." Sharpner was actually staring off into space whilst answering.

"Sharpie! You aren't even looking! Besided, you said that about the other two things we were wearing!" The bubbly blonde fumed at her disinterested boyfriend. "Well what about you Gohan? I know you're probably ready to devour a mountain of food by now, but try to be honest?" He gave a brief scrutinizing look as he tried to ignore his grumbling stomach. Erasa was right about him being hungry!

_"Hmmm, Erasa never looks bad so I can say she looks good. Videl looks...wow. That's a good look for her! She never dressing like this at school!"_ Unbeknownst to him, his face grew red as he dwelled on how attractive Videl looked in a dress. It didn't go unnoticed by Erasa or Videl.

"Hey Brains! If you don't mind that you quit eyeing Videl like a piece of meat and offer your intelligent critical opinions, would you? It would nice if we ate sometime today." Apparently even Sharpner had noticed it. Gohan's embarrassment was sealed.

"Hehe, umm, well you both look nice. I have no criticism to make. Videl, you should try that look more often." She had already blushed lightly under his extra scrutiny. His compliment sent her blush into overdrive, her face turning a bright red as it deepened. Sharpner and Erasa gave each other a brief glance before smirking.

"Thanks Gohan. I'll think about it." Her face was still a deep red as they prepared to leave. _"Usually it annoys me when guys check me out. When Gohan checked me out, I actually liked it. Why?"_ The question was left unanswered as they checked out the articles of clothing and headed for the food court.

"Lets see. Gohan will need an order from every place here." Sharpner had made the remark in a teasing manner, but it was also true.

"Yep, that's right. How did you know Sharpner?" Gohan was too naive to notice the intended humor of the statement.

"Oh, er, I guess I'm just that good." Sharpner sighed as Gohan made his way over to one of the oriental counters. _"For such a smart guy, you sure are thick Gohan."_ He turned and looked at the girls in an exasperated manner. Erasa giggled and patted Sharpner on the shoulder.

"Well, let's hurry and get some food before the garbage eats the mall out of house and home." Videl was already headed to one of the counters. The blonde couple followed her, as they knew just how much of a possibility it was.

A few minutes later, the teens were situated at a table. Gohan had commandeered a separate table to put a few trays unto. He was still waiting for other orders as he dug into what he currently had.

"Gee Videl. Good thing you're loaded or 'hungry man' over here would be starving all the way back to his house. Right Gohan?" Erasa looked over at Gohan.

"Huh? 'Hungry Man'? No, those are pretty small. Thanks though." He went back to enjoying some sesame chicken and fried rice. A bit of yaki soba was hanging from the corner of his lower lip and a few triple-stacked burgers were next on his list of victims. A collective giant sweat drop hung from everyone else's head at the table.

"I still can't get used to you eating dude. How do you put away enough food for five people to GORGE themselves on let alone eat and stay so trim and ripped?" The long blonde was gawking as Gohan tore into one of his burgers and ate six fries at once. He was too distracted to notice his own food was only half eaten.

"To be honest, I don't really know why I need so much food." Gohan dabbed at his mouth with a napkin. "All I know is that I inherited it from my father. His appetite was the next level of mine." It was a partial lie, but it was necessary. He really didn't know why Saiyans could eat so much regardless of their metabolism. He then began demolishing a second burger and emptying another container of fries. "By the way, are you going to finish that?" He pointed at Sharpner's half eaten food. He looked at his tray and finally realized his plate was still half full.

"Yeah dude. I need food too you know? Just not as much as you!" He tore into the remains of his food at that.

"Well, I'm stuffed. What say we load up and head to the house now?" The bubbly blonde stretched as she said this.

"Yeah, sounds good. I'm sure the black hole is satisfied by now." Videl grinned at Gohan.

"Hey! I'm not THAT bad. I told you already, my dad could make this look like a kid's meal." He pointed to the stack of ten trays he alone ate from.

"Sure Gohan. Sure." Videl patted him on the back as they left. "Be a good boy and help Sharpie with the merchandise." He turned and saw Sharpner struggling with some of the many bags.

_"Oh yeah. Sheesh! What would they do if they didn't have this much money to burn? Well, it could be worse. At least we didn't have any calls today. Looks like my cover is safe so far."_

"Hey Brains! You've got some muscle to go with your smarts! Why don't you use them to help me with these bags!?"

"Oh, sorry Sharpner! I'm coming!"

True to his word, Sharpner was indeed right when he said at least one of the trunks would be full. They decided it would less of a hassle if they all rode in one car, so into their capsules went Gohan and Erasa's cars. With the clothes loaded and everybody in Sharpner's car, they set off towards the Satan mansion. Gohan was finally starting to relax. It seemed that his worries had been all for naught and he could simply enjoy his day.

"So Gohan, are you going to be alright getting home after we watch some movies?" asked Videl from her seat beside Gohan. Sharpner was driving his own car of course, and Erasa was seated beside him in the front passenger seat. "You do live kind of far away."

"Oh I'll be fine. I have good connections and have a very fast jetcopter. In fact I probably shouldn't have it, but I know an employee at Capsule Corp and they set me up." He chuckled at his own lie. Maybe it wasn't so hard after all.

"Oh cool. Well, I was going to give you a lift if you needed it. I don't have anything to do this weekend and it wouldn't have been any trouble." Erasa glanced over at Sharpner and he just shrugged back at her.

"Wow, that's really nice, but I'm covered. Thanks though."

"No problem." She smiled sweetly back at him. There was a slight feeling of disappointment she could feel welling up. She had actually wanted to give him a lift. Erasa again noticed.

Soon they could see the mansion getting closer in the distance. Gohan briefly wondered how Hercule would treat him and Sharpner when they arrived. It's not that he could have actually been any threat, but confrontations of this sort made him nervous. It was his fear that HE would answer the phone that made Gohan nervous about calling Videl.

"Hey Videl. Is your dad going to be okay with me and Sharpner coming over?"

"Oh yeah. He's okay with it. As long as I have Erasa with me, he doesn't care. Besides, he's going to be out of town until tomorrow night."

"Oh, gotcha." _"Well that takes care of that."_

_"When the cats are away, the mice will play."_

_"You again. You mind behaving for at least a few hours?"_

_"Well, yes. Mwahahahaha!"_

_"..."_

_"Dude, you gotta come up with something better than this silent treatment. It's lame like your mother's fashion sense."_

_"She's YOUR mother too."_

_"Oh hell. You're right."_

_"Haha! Victory!"_

_"This isn't over princess."_

"Gohan, are you alright?" Videl was watching Gohan curiously as his facial expressions changed like he was having an offensive conversation.

"Oh yeah, I uh, just thought of something embarrassing."

"Okay, just checking." _"What's with this guy?"_

"We're here guys! Pile out."

"Pile out? What the heck Sharpner?" Erasa couldn't help snickering at the statement.

"Yeah, that probably wasn't cool. Sorry babe."

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm going inside. Bye."

"Wait for us! We're right behind you."

Videl entered the kitchen to pop some popcorn and was met with a note from her father.

_Hey sweetpea! _

_I gave the butler, cook, and maid a night off tonight. You and your friends can order something tonight with the money I left on the counter. And behave like a good young lady should. I know that one of your friends is dating Erasa, so that leaves one single guy in the house. No shenanigans! _

_Love your dad._

She rolled her eyes at the note then threw it in the trash. It's not that she didn't appreciate the note, but his protective side annoyed her.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence dad." She immediately put the popcorn in the microwave and then realized she would have to make a separate bag or two just for Gohan. She chuckled to herself as she grabbed some more pouches wrapped in plastic from the box of popcorn. _"Gohan sure puts away his food. I wonder how he can stay so buff? I've seen people who eat less who are fat and not hot like him. Wait second. Did I call him hot? Easy girl. I don't want my dad's fears to become true."_

"Hey Videl! What movie would you like for us to put on?" The blonde girl brought Videl out of her thoughts.

"Oh, whatever really. Let's put on something to make the guys happy. Last time we put on something more chick oriented, Sharpner just kind of killed it."

"Sure thing. By the way, don't think I didn't notice the little interaction between you and Gohan today."

"Say what? Don't be silly. Nothing like that really happened today."

"So when Gohan had to keep from letting his mouth hit the floor when he saw you in a dress, it was nothing? When you actually seemed flattered of all things by his compliment with that cute blush on your face, it was nothing? When you offered to give him a lift home for Kami only knows why and looked disappointed because he didn't need one, it was nothing? Let's not even talk about how you look at each other. You don't look at each other the way you two look at each other unless you're at least a little attracted to each other. You may be too stubborn to admit your own feelings, but Gohan definitely has a thing for you." Videl was silent the whole time as Erasa replayed all her evidence like a prosecutor in court.

"I think you're looking too much into it. I was just being nice to him and what guy isn't attracted to me at some point at least because of my status?"

"Whatever girl. Since when have you been THAT nice to a BOY? Anyway, you know by now that Gohan isn't like that. Besides, he can relate to you a lot more than you thought. You two have some things in common and I know you like each other. It's just something to think about. No pressure." Videl was left alone with her thoughts and with popping corn as Erasa left to put on a movie in the large living room of the mansion.

_"I guess there are some things I could find attractive about him. But I don't LIKE him like that do I? We're just now becoming friends and there's still so much I don't know about him. I understand he has personal reasons for keeping some things a secret and he's probably been through a lot, but I can't feel comfortable in a relationship with someone so secretive." _Her thoughts were interrupted again, this time by a beeping timer. Unanswered questions seemed to be flowing in abundance lately. This one would have to go unanswered as well. She put the popcorn in a bowl and headed to the living room.

"Hey Videl. We waited to start it with you." The long blonde pressed the play button on the remote and the movie watching commenced. Videl soon noticed she would be situated between Erasa and Gohan. It was obviously the handy work of the not so ditzy blonde girl. Videl rolled her eyes slightly before sitting down.

"Okay guys, here's the popcorn! Here's a separate bowl for you Gohan."

"Gee, thanks Videl!"

"Your're welcome Gohan." He smiled at her and a funny feeling began to rise up in her. She felt strange and fluttery when he smiled at her like that. All she could do was return the smile.

The movie continued for another half hour before the sounds of a fight scene between the hero and some henchman of the villain were interrupted.

"Yes Chief? Sure, I'll be right there in a minute or two." She rolled her eye as soon as she killed the connection. "Don't bother stopping the movie. Just tell me how it ends." A concerned Gohan looked up at her with intent eyes. She noticed his worried expression.

"It's alright Gohan. I do this all the time. You know I'll be back." He nodded at her words and she left without saying anymore.

_"What am I supposed to do? It's one thing to go to the bathroom all the time, but if I do that HERE then it'll start to look strange. I can't just leave her though. C'mon! Got to think of something."_

"What's up Gohan?" Erasa could tell he was thinking hard.

"Oh, uh, you know where they keep the drinks?"

"Oh sure. That door on the right leads to the kitchen, then the fridge on the left has all the drinks in it."

"Okay, thanks."

"Sure thing."

He ran through the door and quickly entered a hallway on the other side of the kitchen. He could've shouted at his good luck as he soon found a bathroom with a window. The bathroom would make the perfect ruse if they wondered where he was. He entered and locked the door then turned on the faucet to add noise in the bathroom. He then transformed via his watch and exited through the window.

"Let's see. Her ki is in that direction. I can catch right up if I fly to her. I think I'll just trail right behind her."

Not more than a minute later, he soon saw her jetcopter up ahead. He trailed just far enough to where he deemed unnoticeable and followed. Unbeknownst to him, she indeed saw him in her rear view just barely.

"What is that? It's Saiyaman! Why can't he just let me do a job by myself for once! I'm not helpless! Well, I'm not playing his game today."

"What's she doing? She stopped. Oh crap, she actually saw me." The aircraft turned to face him and pulled up right beside him as he spoke. Then a window opened up to reveal a pissed off Videl.

"What the freak are you doing Saiyaman!? Can't you just leave me alone for a day? I'm going to lose the credibility I have if you keep interfering! The police will start thinking that I'm incompetent without you! Don't you even get that!?" Gohan was stunned at her outburst. She usually was prickly about him helping, but he had never thought of it like that.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, Ms. Videl. I assure you that the police haven't lost faith in your abilties. If it means anything, I was only trying to help you." She was unyielding in her demeanor.

_"I won't give in to him. I don't care. Just leave me alone."_ She glared daggers at him to show her defiance. "Stay out of my way Saiyaman. I don't care if it makes you feel better because of some moral obligation. I was fine without you and I'll continue to be fine without you."

"You can say what you want to say. It doesn't change a thing. I'll stand by you and render my assistance whether or not you believe you need it or not. Now let's go. The police are waiting and we're wasting time."

_"I can't believe him! Am I really going to go through with it?" _ She hit her control panel out of frustration, cracking the glass. "Fine! But stay out of my way." She turned her aircraft around and blasted off towards the scene. "Stupid monkey in a cape." Unbeknownst to her, Gohan could hear as he flew right beside her.

"She has know idea how much of an insult to me that could be." Gohan chuckled at the thought.

Meanwhile, at the scene it was cacophony and visual chaos wrapped into a beautiful package. A building had been raided and there were hostages involved. Police scrambled like chickens with their head cut off whilst being given orders by those in charge.

"Where is Videl!? She's usually here a little earlier than this. I haven't seen Saiyaman either!"

"Over there! They're both arriving!" A younger cop pointed at the sky. The oddly matched duo landed not less than twenty feet from the gathering of law enforcement. They quickly walked up to the cluster of police.

"Sorry we're late Chief. I had to come from my house to this farther end of town. Saiyaman intercepted me so we could arrive together."

"It's alright. It gave us a bit of time to assess the situation. Things are a bit complicated do to hostages. We would move in right away if it weren't for that. If we could somehow create a diversion and enter from where they wouldn't expect, someone could take care of the hostages while someone else handles the crooks."

"Gotcha. Saiyaman! Since you're fast, you take care of the hostages. I'll start on the men holding the robbery and you can catch up."

"Gotcha." He knew exactly why she had sent him to get the hostages. She was trying to prove that she would be fine without being able to dodge bullets, fade out of sight, or punch men through walls. He obeyed anyway. She would be fine for a little bit. At least he hoped so.

Meanwhile, the crooks in question were taking care of the hostages. The herded up the people into one room and left them tied up in one large room.

"Hey boss, what's the point in trussing up all the hostages? We're just gonna kill them anyway." A large man dressed in a trench coat turned to look at his henchman. His lip twisted into a sneer to reveal a golden tooth, the movement making ashes fall from his cigarette.

"You want one of those punks roaming around and causing trouble? What if one them were to get the cops in here? I don't think you'd be complaining about the extra work if that happened."

"I guess you're right," grumbled the henchman.

"Of course I'm right. Now get a move on and lets get ready. Hey! Are the cops clearing up yet!?" The henchman being addressed turned from his spot in the window.

"Nah, boss. They just sent in Videl and Saiyaman." Everyone turned and looked at the thug as he had basically informed them all that the operation at hand was doomed.

"You idiot! You were supposed to inform me the SECOND that those two got involved. With Videl we could use our numbers to our advantage. We have her outnumbered literally seven to one. With Saiyaman things will be tricky. Nothing we do could harm him physically, so we need to use other people as leverage. Wait, that's it! Take Videl alive! We'll use the broad as bait. Everybody get into position. Knowing her, she'll come charging in half-cocked.

Gohan made his way around a corner. Since he was looking for hostages, he knew that the largest cluster of ki was probably what he should look for. They were also the most agitated, although the smaller cluster also seemed to be agitated.

"Let's see, the larger cluster must be the hostages. They've been agitated since we got here. The smaller group of ki must be the thugs. They're just now getting agitated, probably due to us arriving." Gohan took a second to sense exactly where everyone was. "Since the hostages are on the next floor I'll just go through the ceiling. No one should right above me right now." He powered up a ki blast and blew a sizeable hole in the upper floor. "That oughta do it."

"What was that!?" The leader of the thugs screamed. The blast had apparently been louder than Gohan anticipated.

"Crap, maybe that wasn't a good idea. Oh well. I can't cry over it now." He honed in the location of the captive employees. "I'll bet this was a pretty hellish work day for the people here." As soon as he said that, he was nearly upon the cluster of energy. He stopped next to a door. He heard shuffling and whispering right behind it. "What was that? Must be one of the hostages. Hello? I'm here to save you."

"We're in here!" called one of the employees. In a few moments they were all freed and crowded around Gohan.

"Oh, thank you Saiyaman!" gushed one of the employees.

"No problem citizen! This must have shaken you all up a lot."

"Not so much. It happens every other month." A giant sweat drop appeared on Gohan's head as one of the employees had made the confession so lightly

"Umm, yes, well you all should make your escape and send in the police. When they see you're all safe, they can advance without doing you any harm."

"Will do. Come on everybody!" The herd of freed captives raced out of the building, heading for the nearest elevators.

"Well, that's stupid. Why didn't I just take an elevator?" Gohan shook his head at his own recklessness then headed to catch up with Videl.

Meanwhile, Videl was homing in on the thugs responsible for all the mayhem. Unbeknownst to her, a trap had been set and she was about to spring it. She turned a corner to see one man waiting for her.

"Who are you?"

"I'm the leader of this operation. You can call me Wolf. If formalities are your thing I also go by Akira, but it's such a bland name. Wouldn't you agree?" Ashes fell from his cigarette as he spoke.

"Well Akira-"

""I know I gave you the option, but I prefer Wolf." A mocking smirk graced his face as he said this. A vein in Videl's head began to throb, as her patience with him was growing very slim.

"Fine then, Wolf." She spat the name with disgust, as if it left a bad taste in her mouth. "I'm not here for a social call or for idle chit chat. Surrender now, or else I'll make you."

"Now see, that would work for you, if I wasn't a strong man with many strong followers. You're outclassed in every way and you dare to throw such empty threats at ME?"

"You can talk all you want, but it won't do you any good if you don't have bite to match your bark." She lowered into a fighting stance.

"Very well." He shed his trench coat and threw away his cigarette, but didn't lower into a stance of his own. He simply beckoned her with a hand. Pissed off, she took the initiative and sent a kick to his face, which he ducked. She quickly followed up with another kick, which he hadn't anticipated. A risky move it was, but it successfully struck his chest, sending him on to his back. She launched herself into the air and landed on his stomach with her knee, knocking the wind out of him.

"We can do this the hard way or the easy way. You pick." She was still on top of him with a hand on his collar and the other hand ready to strike.

"Neither," came another voice from behind her. It was followed up with the click of a gun. She turned to see a pistol in her face and cursed under breath. Wolf sent a hard punch to her face, creating a small stream of blood from her lip. He stood back off and dusted his clothes off, smirking all the while.

"You see, it doesn't matter if the grasshopper is stronger than the ant if the ant has an army and the grasshopper is by itself."

"Saiyaman will be here soon, and he counts as two armies." The admittance of his superiority left a bad taste in her mouth.

"Be that as it may, you two made a mistake in splitting up. He'll pay the price for agreeing to do it. " He then turned to his other goons who had come out of hiding. "You two! Tie her up and get her ready! We want Saiyaman to be taken by surprise." Two men bound her hands behind her back, tied her ankles together then wrapped tape around her mouth.

_"How could I have been so stupid?"_ She chastised herself inwardly as she was carried away.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6; Discoveries

Gohan was putting extra effort into reaching Videl. He had felt her ki spike then suddenly settle back down. Judging by the agitated yet docile reading it was giving off and the fact that it was surrounded by what seemed like the whole gang, implied that she had been overwhelmed.

"Hurry Gohan. She's in trouble." He ran at a speed that would make him look like moving color to untrained eyes. The layout of the building wasn't horribly complicated and there were only nine floors to travel. He had been on the eighth floor already, but he didn't want complications to arise from his deliberate destruction of the property. However, seeing as how Videl's life was currently in danger, a bit more damage done for the greater good seemed to be in order.

"This is taking too long. Hiya! He launched a weak ki blast at the ceiling, making a smaller hole and a quieter explosion. However, at this point it was probably moot to worry about how much noise he was making.

"You here that exposion? Our caped nuisance is almost here. Well, we have our trump card ready to play." Videl sat on the floor, unsuccessfully trying to loosen her bonds. She tried to yell out a warning, but only a quiet grunt came out. "Ah, you see, all that tape is on your mouth for a reason. It would spoil the fun if you could warn your caped friend. Be a good girl, and we'll leave this bomb strapped to you for company." He beckoned to a henchmen and who brought a harness attached to a bomb. Videl yelled even more so under the tape as they strapped the bomb to her midsection.

"We're all done boss. We should go."

"Alright, get everything together." He turned to looked at the captive Videl and smirked. "You see this bomb was made to destroy the hostages and this whole building. Unfortunately, Saiyaman freed all the hostages. You two working together would have put a stop to us. Fortunately, you didn't come in together and to pay for your mistake, you will be our ticket out of here. As soon as Saiyaman comes here, he'll try to save you first. All the while, we'll be making our escape. If he's lucky, he won't try to disarm the bomb as it was made to detonate when tampered with. In the event that he manages to get the bomb off of you, he'll have to reach a safe distance away from innocent civilians. Either way, it'll give us time to escape with the important documents we've stolen. A man will pay us handsomely for the safe acquisition of these documents, and it would be a shame if we failed to bring them to him." If Videl could have, she would have unleashed a string of profanity vulgar enough to make the dirtiest mouthed individual cringe.

"Boss! Let's get out of here!"

"I'm coming you fool! Do you want a pay cut?"

"No."

"Alright then." He turned back to Videl one last time. "Since the police have followed you guys in here because Saiyaman so graciously saved the hostages, you've all left us a clear path. I think three minutes on the detonator should be enough." He bent down and set the bomb. "I hope you're happy. See you around, or at least bits of you." With a laugh, Wolf and the gang made their departure through window. They had come prepared for such an escape plan and made their descent via bungee cord.

_"How did this happen? I had the upper hand at first! If I hadn't have let my guard down then none of this would have happened."_

"Videl! Are you okay? Where are you!?" Gohan's voice echoed through the hallway. She tried to talk as best she could through the tape.

"Mmmm nnggg hrrnnnn!" Gohan ran into the room and was greeted with the sight of Videl tied up and gagged with a bomb strapped to her, and not a gang member in sight. He felt a quiet rage inside of himself as soon as he saw her in that condition. "I'll have to disarm the bomb first." She avidly shook her head and grunted in response. "What's the matter? We need to get rid of this bomb!"

"Mmmm!" She shook her head and tried to explain in some way the error in doing what he intended to do.

"I can't understand a thing you're saying!" She glared angrily at him.

_"You think genius? How the freak am I supposed to talk with this crap plastered to my mouth."_

"This is going to hurt. Brace yourself." Gohan seemed to get the picture and started unraveling the tape from around her head. She let the whole building know how it felt as soon as it was off.

"Owww! Freaking a! Did you have to pull it off so hard? Anyway, we can't disarm it without blowing it up. This is how they planned on escaping. They knew we'd have no choice but to take care of the bomb first."

"Hmmm...it looks like we have a minute and a half left on the clock. If that's the case then I better just take off the harness and fly the bomb out of here. Better be careful though. It's attached in a delicate manner." He methodically unattached the bomb from the harness and was careful not to disturb any of the delicate parts that could set it off.

"Hurry it up Saiyaman! We only have less than a minute!"

"I'm trying! I don't want to set it off right here. Is that what you want?"

"No, but just hurry!" He finally fully detached the bomb from the harness and made a quick glance at the time.

_"I have thirty seconds left. It's risky, but I need to do it."_ He first paused to eliminate her bonds via his ki. Then he ran towards the open window. "You better take cover."

"No! There's no time! Why can't you just throw it and shoot it with that light of yours?"

"I might set it off before my blast destroys it. I need to get it clear of the city at all cost." He blasted off and took towards the sky. _"I should be okay if I need to let it blow up on me. How strong could a bomb be anyway unless it was nuclear or something?"_ He flew straight up as the city was too wide in every direction to get the bomb far away enough otherwise. The detonator counted down steadily. It seemed to be a final countdown as the clock read ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, BOOM! A massive explosion rocked the sky and shook the block underneath it.

"Saiyaman!" Videl screamed out of fear for his safety. She couldn't see how anything or anyone could survive a blast like that at that proximity. The smoke from the explosion cleared and only revealed clear sky with nothing else but a couple clouds to be seen. Videl couldn't help but let the tears stream across her face. "Goodbye Saiyaman. You weren't so bad after all." It was utter silence as she mourned what she believed the passing of Saiyaman. The police interrupted her moment as they entered the room.

"Videl! Are you alright? We heard the blast from the eighth floor! Where is the gang and Saiyaman?" She paused to wipe away her tears before turning to face him.

"I was overwhelmed by all of them and was left strapped to a bomb. The gang made their escape as Saiyaman took care of the bomb. He flew it into the sky and..." She was unable to continue as the memory stirred emotions that fought to rise to the surface.

"I understand. He was a good man who believed in justice and the law." The chief put a consoling hand on her shoulder. "May he rest in peace." He then signaled to let Videl have her moment alone whilst they swept the building for anything to help track down Wolf. Videl finally let her walls fall down and let the tears come fully.

_"I always treated him so callously and was flippant about his help. He gave his life to save me and everyone else, but I was always so selfish and ungrateful."_ She wiped the tears from her eyes and wore a look of determination on her face. "I swear. I won't let your sacrifice go to waste. It's the only way I can repay you. I hope it will be enough."

"Well, I've never known you to cry, but that was really nice. Fortunately, I'm still alive." She turned to face the one speaking and was unable to believe what she saw.

"Saiyaman?" She paused to collect herself then embraced him in a tight hug. "I thought you were dead! I'm sorry for how I've treated you all this time! Wait a second. You let me make swear an oath to a dead man who wasn't even dead and watched me do it! You jerk!" Gohan was taken aback by her seemingly bipolar personality swap.

_"She went from repentant to angry and accusing just like that? She's so much like mom!"_ He let her beat on his chest for a moment to let of some steam. _"This whole ordeal has ruined what was supposed to be a fun day for her. I guess she can be angry about this."_ She paused to catch her breath as the exertion had winded her. "I'm sorry Videl. I didn't mean to make it seem like I died. After I recovered from the explosion, I had to round up those crooks after the bomb exploded. I found them celebrating from a distance beside a parked van and brought them back to the scene. They're all knocked out on the roof. "

"Say what? Are you serious?" She looked at him incredulously.

"Take a look. They're all there." Having to see it to believe it, she allowed him to fly her up to the roof. Sure enough, all seven gang members were heaped up in one unconscious mass.

"Wow. That's insane. You're not of this world!" Gohan chuckled at her halfway accurate comment.

"You're almost right."

"What did you say?" Confusion was etched on her face, but Gohan wouldn't have time to explain himself. Without warning, his visor cracked and his helmet began to split in half. Soon Gohan stood before her in all his unmasked glory. The reaction from Videl was first stunned silence, but soon an angry and accusing look covered her face. "Gohan?"

"Hi?" Was all Gohan could lamely say.

"I knew it was you! I gave into you and let myself start to trust you, but I still suspected it was you!"

"So is it a crime that I hid this from you guys? I never outright lied to you, but did you honestly think I would've been comfortable revealing this to you?" Videl couldn't rebuttal him because she knew he was right.

"I'm too overwhelmed to fairly judge the situation. I'll call the cops up here and you get back to the mansion. We'll talk then." Her voice wasn't hard and cold but it wasn't kind and lenient either. Gohan knew he would have some serious explaining to do in the near future.

"Okay. Will do. I just want you to know I'm sorry."

"Don't say anything now Gohan. I won't be able to listen to you." A hurt expression flashed across her features briefly and Gohan felt a pang of guilt for his deception.

"Okay." He flew off to contend with a blonde couple, probably confused by his absence by now. _"What a day. It was just supposed to be a normal day with friends. How on earth did my mask break too? _

The scene replayed in his head as tried to remember what happened. At the last moment he wound his arm back to throw the bomb away. Not a moment had it been after he threw it that the bomb exploded literally in his face. He had managed to put up a last minute defense and had escaped seemingly unscathed. When he flew to apprehend the thieves and recover the stolen goods he had noticed a strange rattling from his helmet. He hadn't paid it any mind at the time, but it seemed that his helmet had taken a lot of stress from the explosion. _Dende must love me."_ As he spoke a teenage Namekian lounging in a palace in the sky sneezed. He was reading a magazine chalk full of celebrity dirt and pop culture news.

"What fascinating lives these humans live."

"Ummm, Dende?" Mr. Popo tried to get the guardian's attention.

"Are you done with your break sir? Shouldn't you be watching over the earth?"

"I know what's going on Mr. Popo. Besides, this magazine is full of important information on the notable people of earth. Sometimes it's nice to 'research' the old fashioned way. You follow me?"

"I suppose so sir." The dark genie went back to sweeping the corridor. "Researching my butt."

Gohan continued to fly, oblivious to the lounging guardian of earth. He had to figure out how to explain the excessive duration of his absence to his waiting friends.

"This isn't good. Having to use the bathroom after getting a drink, won't explain why I've been gone for an hour and a half. What am I going to say?" Soon the mansion came into view, and he knew his time was running out. He entered the bathroom window he had left open and closed it. He then put his costume away and flushed the toilet to maintain pretenses. "Here goes nothing. Hey guys! I'm back!" He was puzzled when he received no response. "What are they up to?" He walked into the kitchen and saw nothing out of place. Cautiously, he entered the living room to find the blonde couple lip locked on the sofa. "Whoa. Well, whatever. Here's my lucky break." He got closer and cleared his throat to get attention.

"Aagghhh!" The two blondes screamed in unison. They looked at Gohan then back at each other before scooting a couple inches away from each other and turning red.

"Where have you been dude?"

"I decided to drink my drink in the kitchen, then I had to go the bathroom."

"That only takes like, five or ten minutes? We waited for about fifteen minutes then started the movie. Erasa got a little bored with it after about thirty minutes though, so I guess you can see what happened next." He scratched the back of his neck and blushed out of embarrassment.

"That still doesn't explain what happened for all this time Gohan. Where were you?" Erasa was eyeing him curiously.

"Well, I got lost on the way to find a bathroom. After a while I eventually found one. After I was done, the problem was that I couldn't remember my way back. This place is huge! I wandered around for a while and I guess just started to enjoy looking at all the decorations in the mansion. With some dumb luck, I got back here and found you making out. I waited for about five minutes to break you guys up." Gohan tried to hide the fact that he was lying, but it came off as embarrassment. His friends seemed to buy into it and accepted his explanation without question.

"So what do we do now?" Erasa looked around restlessly. "Videl is taking a really long time today."

"I'm sure she'll be back soon. Why don't we order some food with the money her dad left in the kitchen? There's some money with a note that says it's for ordering in dinner. I'm sure she might be hungry after helping out the police."

"That's a pretty good idea. I'm getting kind of hungry myself. So what should we order then?"

"I've had nearly everything you can think about so you guys just order what you want."

"Okay, well we haven't had pizza in a while. Is that alright with you Sharpner?"

"Sure babe. Let's see, there's enough here for three pizzas. Erasa, Videl, and myself can handle one pizza so how about we order the other two for you Gohan?"

"Sounds good to me." Gohan left to go sit alone for a while. _"I better enjoy this peaceful moment. Things will get a whole lot more complicated as soon as Videl gets here."_

_"You bet hot shot! She'll be on you like white on rice now that she knows how tough you really are. I mean in the good way too."_

_"Did you miss the part where I said 'peaceful' moment."_

_"Sorry Mr. Uptight."_

"I'm losing it. Get it together Gohan."

"You okay Gohan?" He turned to see Erasa looking at him with concern.

"Yeah, I'm just stressed about stuff."

"Would this 'stuff' involve a particular person?" She took a seat beside him at the table and waited. She had a knowing look on her face.

"Well, yeah. Is it that obvious?"

"I can read you like a book Gohan. So would this person happen to be... Videl?" He paused to look at her in slight shock.

"Yeah actually," He answered, knowing he had already given himself away.

"I knew." She had a gleeful smile on her face and you could almost see the wheels turning in her head as she considered the possibilities. "Continue please."

"Well, let's just say that she's mad at me for not telling her something. I might have considered telling her at some point." He paused out of amazement for himself. _"Really?"_ "Anyway, she found out before I was ready to tell her and now I don't know what to do."

"I see. Well knowing Videl, it's a matter of trust. She doesn't let herself trust many people like she trusts us, so when she does, it really means something. She's finally let herself trust you and now she's found out something that would undermine that trust. The best way to resolve this is to be as honest as possible about the situation. You need to demonstrate in the best possible way why it was necessary to hide what you hid. If you don't have a good reason, it might be hard to regain the trust you had from her."

"Okay. I definitely have a very good reason why I didn't tell her immediately. Maybe she'll understand."

"I think so. Videl has a good head on her shoulders. She's stubborn and she can be rude, but she has a good heart. I also have a sinking suspicion that she likes you."

"Um, not to be rude, but are you crazy? She's only treated me normally until this week! For all the rest of the time she's known me, she's practically breathed down my neck to find out what sinister secret I'm hiding!"

"I think she was just interested in you Gohan. Videl doesn't just chase after someone under the slight suspicion he might have a secret. I know her. Plus, I'm girl. I know these things Gohan."

"You think so?"

"Yep. If there's nothing to it after all, I know you like her at the very least." Gohan sputtered as he drank a soda he had pilfered from the fridge.

"What makes you say that!?"

"Don't even try to deny it Gohan. A boy doesn't look at a girl the way you do if he doesn't like her." Gohan scratched the back of his neck and sighed.

"You're too good for your own good. You know that?" She giggled at the comment.

"People have a habit of underestimating me. I may be boy crazy and a bit ditzy sometimes, but I know relationships. Anyway, it's just something to think about. I hope I helped."

"Yeah, thanks." Gohan was left alone to his thoughts once again. "She'll be here any moment." He said it more to himself than anyone in particular, but there was no one to hear him. A door opened and light footsteps could be heard in the living room.

"Hey guys! I'm home!" The pretty, raven-haired girl walked in with a noticeable lag in her step. It was a level of weary that was stamped on every part of her.

"Hey Videl! What took so long?" Her blonde, sister-like friend embraced her as she walked in.

"It was harder than usual. Saiyaman was a big help today. Things could have been a lot worse without his help." She turned to see Gohan waiting apprehensively across the room. She gave him a small smile, but here eyes told him he wasn't off the hook yet.

"Well that's great. I knew the caped goof what come in useful to you one day." Sharpner had just walked into the room. "By the way, we've already ordered dinner. Does pizza sound okay?"

"Anything sounds good right about now to be honest. I'm going to be freshen up." She sent a brief look at Gohan that beckoned him to be ready to start talking when she got out. Erasa caught the exchange and nodded at Gohan.

"What gives?" Sharpner said as Videl left. "I don't get it."

"Videl and Gohan have something to talk about in private later." She grabbed his arm and ushered him into the kitchen.

"Seriously?" He looked at her incredulously. She just sighed and pushed him into the kitchen. One last time she looked at Gohan and waved in the direction Videl had went. He nodded in return and followed Videl to wait for her.

_"This is perfect. Once they have a chance to talk things over, I'm sure things will work for them and maybe 'other' things can blossom."_ The matchmaker followed her boyfriend into the kitchen.

Meanwhile, in a world far away from the all of a sudden trivial matters of earth, clashes rocked the skies as powerful warriors trained as if their life or afterlife depended on it. The overseeing Kais looked on with grim faces. They were desperate for the drastic improvement of their fighters. The whole cosmos and the very balance of existence depended on it.

In another not so far away section of this world, the skies were busy as well. It wasn't immediately apparent at a glance, but hard work was being done without a single moment of ceasing. It wasn't the birds that occupied the sky. It wasn't the clouds that blew across it either. There was only nothingness and the vast expanse of color to occupy the sky. Then just as suddenly as there was nothing, a crack appeared. The toiler smiled a grim smile. It appeared that all his hard work was paying off after all. He laughed a thick evil laugh of satisfaction.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven; You've Got Some Splainin to Do

The shower was running in a bathroom a few doors down from where Gohan was sitting. He had figured that perhaps it would be appropriate to give Videl some space instead of waiting right by the door. It would be a strange thing to find that someone had practically been waiting up your butt while you had been taking a shower. So Gohan had pulled up a chair in the hallway and had situated himself at what he considered a courteous distance.

_"This is a fine mess you've gotten yourself into Gohan. How on earth did today turn into something like this? How am I going to explain everything to Videl?"_

Meanwhile, Videl was unwinding in the shower, washing all the stress of the day away. Such luxuries like showers can often be taken for granted. However, after nearly losing your life in a fight with a greedy and murderous gang, you realize just how great an everyday shower really is. She turned off the water and stepped out of the tube, being plunged once again into reality. Her thoughts turned to Gohan while she was drying herself.

_"To think that all this time, Gohan was Saiyaman? All this time of me being humiliated by Saiyaman helping me and hating him for making me feel weak, I was hating Gohan? I know he was probably justified in his reason for hiding it. It just hurts for some reason when I think about it."_ She put on a comfortable t-shirt and jeans and collected herself for a moment. _"I won't blow up. I have to keep an open mind. I'm giving you a chance to redeem yourself Gohan. Don't screw up."_ She walked out of the bathroom once her hair was sufficiently dry to find Gohan waiting a short distance away.

"Videl." He stood up from his chair and looking at her expectantly.

"Gohan, what are you doing?"

"I figured you'd be wanting my explanation for...things." He suddenly found a nearby vase very interesting.

"Well, so far I know that you're Saiyaman, the flying and the lights you shoot from your hands must not be tricks, you're really fast, and you're super strong. Those are the cards we have on the table so far right?"

"Um, yeah."

"Okay. My next question is how, but I don't want to leave Sharpner and Erasa hanging. Our food will also be here soon and they'll come to get us. I think we'll need a more private setting to discuss these things."

"Yeah, I guess. It's just that Erasa saw me stressing out so I explained that you were mad at me for not telling you something, which is relatively true. She took it as me needing to explain and apologize about it so she sent me here." He scratched the back of his neck and looked away from here in embarrassment as he told her this. Videl soon had a blush to match his blush as she took it in.

"I'm sorry Gohan. I think she's trying to hook us up."

"Yeah." An awkward silence ensued.

"But you will stay and explain these things to me when they've gone won't you? Here, I'm not demanding it of you. I'm making a sincere request as a friend." Her eyes matched the words she spoke and Gohan could see that indeed held no air of authority or indignation as she spoke.

"How can I say no to that?" Gohan grinned as he felt the mood lighten all of a sudden. "I'll promise I'll clear up all this and explain things to you. I think you've proven yourself trustworthy enough." Videl blushed at his words.

"Well let's go Saiyaman. It's time to report to our match-maker." She winked as she punched him on the arm, heading for the kitchen.

"Right behind you."

Erasa and Sharpner looked up to see a refreshed looking Videl and a not so stressed out Gohan enter the kitchen. Gohan looked over at Erasa and smiled briefly. She smiled back in response. This was the silent indicator that things were going to be okay.

"Hey guys. You get your problem sorted out?" Sharpner asked them out of genuine interest, but had to hold himself back from letting his comment insinuate something more than the patching up of a friendly spat. The idea that there could be something going on between his two friends was still humorous and unlikely to him.

"Yeah, everything is good. So when's the food coming?" Gohan really only meant to dismiss the topic before it escalated into something awkward.

"Leave it to Gohan to ask about food. It should be here any minute, since we ordered it a while ago." A few seconds later, a doorbell rang. "Well, speaking of food. I believe that's our pizza right now."

"I'll go get it." Videl said as she grabbed the money and headed to the door. "Hello?"

"Your pizzas Miss Videl. You ordered three with three toppings each."

"Yeah, that sounds right. Thanks." She handed him the money and took the pizzas in her other hand.

"By the way, you mind if I got an autograph? I'm a fan of you and your father, but an autograph from you would great too. You do a great work here in the city, helping the police and all." She was taken aback by the request. Usually, all interest in her was simply because of her father.

"Sure, do you have something to write on?" He fumbled for a napkin and sheepishly handed it to her along with a pen. She wrote her name on the keepsake in intelligible letters. Sloppy autographs had always bothered her. "I have to say, this sort of thing doesn't usually happen simply out of my own merit." She handed it to him as she was saying this. "Usually, everyone only cares about my father."

"Nah, you've done awesome stuff too. If I didn't think you were worth noticing I wouldn't have asked for your autograph." He paused to look at the autograph. "Ah yeah! Thanks a lot! Okay, I've got to go. Thanks a lot for this!" He waved and headed back to his car. Videl waved back before taking picking the pizzas up and going back inside.

_"Who knew someone would admire me for MY own merits and accomplishments? I guess anything is possible."_ She walked in with the pizzas. "Sorry guys. The pizza boy wanted an autograph. Who's hungry?" A resounding voice of hunger echoed throughout the room and no words were required. All hands went up and the fate of the pizzas was sealed.

Everything was consumed in the space of less than an hour. After they were done eating, everyone just sat around the table and talked for a while. It was nice just to spend time with one another without a worry or care in the world. Gohan joined in on all the conversations as if he too had been a part of the group for years. He laughed at familiar inside jokes and they laughed at a few of his witty and well-conceived jokes. It felt nice to feel like he belonged with people his own age. It was a luxury he had been deprived of for most of his life.

"Well, the plan was for a movie after dinner too, but it's been a full day." Sharpner stretched in his chair and took a sip from his drink. "I think me and Erasa are heading out for the night. It's been good Videl."

"Yeah girl. We haven't done this in a while. It was great, even if duty calls interrupted us." Erasa stood up and hugged her friend.

"Okay. See you guys on Monday."

"See you. Be good!" This earned a snicker from Sharpner, a sharp glare from Videl, and a clueless look from Gohan.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. Catch you later." With a wave, the blonde couple was gone, leaving Gohan and Videl all alone. They looked at each other knowing.

"I guess it's that time now. We can talk here or go somewhere else."

"Let's go to my room. I'll feel like we have more privacy there."

"Alright." With that, the two teens headed to Videl's room. She closed the door behind them as Gohan settled in a chair. "One question first. Why did you feel the need to talk in here if we're alone?"

"Because our staff live here and could come in at any time. This is the best place to talk privately because my walls are soundproof. No one else but my father knows this. His room is the same."

"I see." Gohan paused as the weight of the moment sunk in. _"I'm about to reveal probably anything she wants to know. I'm going to tell most of my life story to this girl I've come to care about."_ He looked at her contemplatively for a moment. "I want you to know that I really trust you. If I didn't, no amount of sweet talking or coaxing would convince me to reveal what I'm about to tell you."

"I understand. I don't take it lightly and I won't abuse your trust."

"Okay, so where do I begin? I guess to explain how I am who I am I would have to go back to the start of everything. You should probably get comfortable. This might take a while."

So Gohan started from the beginning of everything worth telling about his life. He told her about his uncle abducting him and he and his father dying in battle. He told her about how his father's arch nemesis kidnapping him after the fight and training him in the wilderness and how his father was wished back to life by summoning Shenlong. He told her about the harrowing battle with Nappa and Vegeta and how they traveled to Namek to wish back all of their fallen friends. He told her everything up from his childhood up to the most recent events of his masked crime fighting escapades. By the end of his story Videl had been amazed, shocked, confused, outraged, and brought to tears all in the course of an less than an hour. Not a detail was spared until there wasn't a question she had left to ask him.

"Wow." It was all Videl could say as she sat back, breathless from the story. "It sounds like a load of crap, but it also makes sense. I know you weren't lying to me so it must be true. It's just so hard to believe that things so outrageous were actually happening around me. Gohan smiled.

"Welcome to my life. Sometimes not even I can fathom my own story. You understand why I never talk a lot about myself. When I come to school and hang out with you guys, it's my shot at a normal life. However, I would do anything to protect anyone who becomes important to me, so I never stopped training." He looked at her with a longing he couldn't help from showing for second. He shook it off just as quickly as he had felt it come.

"I finally understand you Gohan." She looked at him thoughtfully, not completely missing the way he had looked at her. "You've had a rough life. I'd make my father give you the credit you rightfully deserve, but I understand that would destroy the life you've fought to build for yourself. Now that I can fully understand you, I can apologize with more meaning than before."

"You don't have to apologize Videl. I-what are you doing?" She had risen from her bed and walked over to his chair, bending close to his face.

"I'm sorry Gohan." She planted a quick kiss on his lips and pulled away before he could even react. Both were silent as Videl took in Gohan's reaction and Gohan tried to process what was going on. "You better go before it get's too late." She had a sly smile on her face.

"I, uh, yeah." His thoughts wouldn't form clearly and short answers were probably the best choice at the moment. He rose and prepared to leave but was stopped.

"Just one more thing." This time she wasn't so confident and suddenly found her feet interesting.

"Yes?"

"Teach to me to fly. Not only that, but show me how to be stronger. You said anyone could learn to do these things, right? I want to learn, and I can't think of a better teacher than you." A smiled slowly grew on his face.

_"I think I'll keep her."_ He nodded in agreement to her request. "I'd love to teach you Videl."

"Consider it...blackmail."

"Well, I better not fail you then." He smirked then headed for the window.

"Where are you going?"

"Home. See you Monday." With a farewell wave he opened her balcony windows and took off. She stared at his white aura as it slowly shrank in the distance, mesmerized by his form as he flew towards his mountain residence.

_"It's really all true. I knew it was, but to actually see him fly like that was...amazing."_ She finally closed her windows and prepared for bed. _"You better keep your promise Gohan."_ Her thoughts were filled with him as she drifted off to sleep and a smile formed on her lips.

It was nearly nine as Gohan landed on his lawn. Inside, he found his mother sitting on the couch by the lamp and reading a book.

"Hi mom. How was your day?"

"It was good. Goten and I had a busy day today. How about you? It's still before your curfew, but I didn't expect you quite so late. Did you have fun?"

"A lot of fun mom. It's more fun than I've had in a while. By the way, I'm probably going to have a friend from school over soon. She found out that I could fly and wants me to teach her."

"Oh okay." She went back to her book then paused as his words sunk in. "What did you just say young man!? How did this girl find out you can fly!? You know I've told you to be careful when you fly."

"I know. I'm sorry mom, but it happened while I was helping her out in my Saiyaman disguise. My helmet broke and she recognized me. She asked me to train her after I explained myself." His mother sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"I know this kind of thing would happen eventually. Oh well. This is the consequence of your recklessness. You'll just have to face it and deal with it. Wait a second, isn't this that girl that has always been suspicious of you and was mad at you for being secretive with her?

"Um, yes she is."

"I see. Okay. You're free to go." She waved him off to his room.

"Um, okay, night mom." He shook his head as he went to his room. "What was that about?" He didn't see his mother rub her hands together and stare into space with a devious and scheming expression.

"I'll set those two up yet." She let out a slight cackle that Gohan heard from behind his door.

"I don't even want to know." He prepared himself for bed and was careful not to disturb his sleeping brother. As soon as he had brushed his teeth and stripped down to his boxers, he crawled under his covers. His thoughts continued going back to the most recent events of the night and a question kept playing and replaying over and over in his head. _"What happened tonight?"_ As he slept, an attractive, raven-haired girl occupied his nocturnal thoughts.

It wasn't even 5:00 when Gohan woke up the next morning, but something inside of him told him that he should wake up as soon as possible. After putting on his training clothes, he left a note explaining where he had gone. He flew into the mountains and didn't return until just before lunch. The bruises and sweaty smell told his mother exactly what he had been doing.

"Just what do you think you're doing taking off like that young man!? You didn't say you were going to be gone this long! I was worried sick about you! Besides, who says you get to just take off like that when I need help around the house and with your brother?"

_"I'm sorry mom. In my meditation I lost track of time."_ A perplexed look appeared on Chichi's face and Gohan realized what he had done. "Hehe, I was working on that. I forgot to talk normally."

"Umm, okay? Did Piccolo teach you that?"

"Yes mom. It's part of my mental training." He then levitated a glass from the cabinet, manipulated the faucet to fill it up, then floated it to his waiting hand. "That was too." He took a drink and inwardly smirked. _"If I freak her out enough, it'll distract her. Ah yes, it's working."_ By then Chichi turned pale for a moment then shook her head.

"Ugh, why couldn't I have lead a normal life with a normal husband and normal sons?" She walked away as she was too flabbergasted to continue her rant.

_"Yes! And he escapes unscathed by her scalding fury once again!"_ He proceeded to make himself ten sandwiches and satisfy his not so merciful appetite. After cleaning up after himself, he looked around. "If I don't do something productive today, mom will be mad. I guess I can fold those clothes hanging out on the line." He proceeded to do just that and had the laundry folded in less than twenty minutes. His mother walked back into the room to find several stacks of folded clothes, towels, and sheets.

"Well thank you Gohan. I guess I can excuse you for flying off like that earlier, but I'd like you to know that I'm worried about your training. It's well and good to be ready to protect us, but you need to be living in the here and now Gohan. The protector of earth needs to live his life too you know?" Gohan sat in contemplation at his mother's words.

"I was going to wait to tell you this, but something is going to happen in less than a year. I have to be ready to face it or else it could threaten every single thing or being in existence. I would was going to tell you later, but it looks like you should know about what's going on." Chichi looked like she didn't know if he was serious or being melodramatic. She sat down in a chair and for once, in one of those rare moments, she was at a loss for words.

"Is this really true? How long have you known?"

"I found out recently. We recently felt a large and sinister ki for an instant then headed to the lookout to discuss it. Dende had been in contact with King Kai and they informed us of the current situation. It was very serious so I didn't want to add more stress to you when you already go through a lot."

"You knew you had to tell me sometime. Well I won't forbid you from training or facing it. It's in your blood and when you fight it's for a bigger cause than my own wants and desires for you. Besides, you'll be done with high school before it happens!" She pumped her fist in the air as she stood up dramatically. Gohan fell over at her change in demeanor and where her thoughts always were. "Just kidding! I love you and I'm proud of you Gohan. I just don't you to get hurt. I couldn't take it if I lost you or Goten like we lost your father." She pulled him into a motherly embrace.

"I love you too mom. I'm not going to let anything happen to you or anyone else." They parted and she smiled at him like only a proud mother can. "By the way. Part of my training involves my being teleported to Other World so they can finish training me. I may or may not be around for the last couple weeks of school." He waited for the storm to follow his unfortunate news.

"What!? I'm having a word with those Kais! Take me to Dende and get me a connection NOW!" Gohan sighed as his mother ran outside and called the nimbus cloud.

"Well Dende, good luck. Maybe you'll pay attention when I'm need of more favorable circumstances after this?"

"Come on Gohan! You're coming too! It's YOUR education we're talking about here! I'm not going to hold your hand like you're a baby for the rest of your life!"

"No, just a grown man with the rights of a baby." He muttered and flew off to accompany his mother as she doomed the guardian of earth. Or perhaps he was going to accompany the guardian as he received his doom. Goten stood in the hallway as they flew off towards the lookout. He scratched his head as he processed that he had been left alone.

"So Gohan is training to save the world and he might miss school? Cool, now where's that leftover cake? Ah, yes. Come to papa you heap of sweet, crumby goodness."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight; Teach Me! Teach Me!

Gohan pinched the bridge of his nose as the monotone teacher blabbered on about historical events and the noteworthy details of them. It would have been better if the teacher used a more dynamic and interesting voice worthy of attention, but the inaccuracy of the events were simply unforgiveable. They were currently studying the Ox Kingdom and although the hierarchy and genealogy were correct for the most part, he couldn't stomach the inaccurate documentation of the history. He should know, for he was the grandson of the very Ox-King! Videl glanced over at him and offered a brief smile partly out of pity and partly out of amusement. She felt sorry for him having to listen to the slaughtering of family facts, but his reaction was kind of funny to her.

"And so, that ended the era and the current Ox-King is said to have vanished into obscurity. He took on the life of an old recluse after his castle was burned down and his daughter married the former World Martial Arts Champion. Does anybody have any questions or comments?" He scanned the room and zoomed in on Gohan's pained and uninterested expression. "Mr. Son! What about you?"

"Oh, well sir, all I can add is that whomever wrote that section of the book had slightly inaccurate facts, but I suppose we can all forgive you because you don't select our curriculum." This ruffled the professor noticeable and his face turned a bright shade of pink. The snickers from all Gohan's classmates didn't help the situation.

"Well Mr. Son, if you are so much more accurately informed on the history of the Ox-King and his kingdom, perhaps you should teach our lesson then." The teacher gestured to the board and held out his pointer. Something inside Gohan snapped and he had a sudden desire to follow through and really show up the teacher. Videl looked at him with concern as he stood up and accepted the challenge.

"What are you doing?" It was only a small whisper, but Gohan still heard her. He turned and winked at her, receiving a blush on her face in return. _"What was THAT for?"_

"Looking at the clock we are a bit pressed for time, but I think I have time to correct a couple errors right now. The Ox-King is not a bloodthirsty man who was power hungry and maniacal. He was an honorable man who received the throne when the current holder passed away of natural circumstances. His fierce persona was simply to keep away media and to provide the desired privacy for him and his family. He did not become a reclusive old man who hoarded the remaining royal wealth and disappeared. He decided that a monarchy wasn't the best way to govern the land anymore and had a democracy formed. He then decided that politics wasn't something he would like to continue pursuing and took all the wealth that was rightfully his. He put it towards investments and due to wise decisions; he and the family are actually wealthier than before. He most certainly is not some hermit living in seclusion. He is a sociable man that is well liked locally and is never heard of anymore because he doesn't care to be." The teacher looked stunned at how well Gohan had provided a rebuttal for the day's lesson.

"Well, how do we know this isn't some load of crap you cooked up to make yourself look good?" The teacher wasn't ready to admit defeat to some young punk who thought he was smart.

"As you all know, my father was the former martial arts champion. Who do you think my grandfather is then?" At this the teacher's eyes widened in realization and the whole class was alive with murmuring. No one had thought to put two and two together until now. At that moment the bell rang, signaling the end of the period. "I'm glad to have rectified this situation. Tomorrow then?" He passed by some grinning classmates as he went to the door.

"Gohan! Way to show up the teacher! I can't believe we didn't put the pieces together until now. That must be cool that your grandpa used to be a king!" Gohan smiled then shrugged.

"I guess I never really thought about it a lot. He just acted like any other grandpa to me."

"Yeah, that must be pretty cool though. See you later dude."

"See you around." Gohan waved to his classmate then headed for lunch. Videl soon caught up with him and they walked to the cafeteria together.

It was Thursday, and it had been five days since that incident at the Satan's residence. Neither Gohan nor Videl had mentioned the brief kiss they had shared, although they had been noticeably closer throughout the whole week. It was almost as if all the walls had been broken since their talk and they had become best friends overnight. Videl linked arms briefly with Gohan just as she caught up with him. She let go moments later, not realizing that Gohan had a nice red tint to his face from the unexpected contact.

"So what was that all about earlier? I thought you liked your privacy Mr. Son?" A teasing smirk was painted on her face.

"Well, that part of my private life was blown apart by some certain meathead martial artists who have started our new martial arts programs. I was just straightening out family facts." He looked at the mirth on her face. "You can wipe that smirk off of your face Ms. Satan." Videl feigned hurt and dramatically placed her hand on her chest.

"Ouch! Can't a girl find humor in anything? Way to hurt my feelings!" Gohan smirked at her dramatic reaction and chuckled slightly.

"I suppose I can forgive you this time."

"Well good. I was afraid for our friendship, good sir." She smiled up at him and suddenly felt a warmth inside of her as she looked at him. It was something she had always fought from feeling towards somebody. There was something about Gohan that broke through her defenses and made her feel different. She didn't have time to dwell on her feelings though. At the moment, they were spotted by they're two blonde friends.

"Videl! Gohan! It took you long enough! Come eat with us!" The bubbly blonde girl excitedly waved at her two friends. Sharpner was at her side and sent a polite and more masculine wave at them.

"Will do!" The four teens soon situated themselves at a table and started unpacking their lunch. "So what have you guys been up to today?"

"Oh nothing much. Just enjoyed our monotone teaching from the 'best' teachers around. It's so boring not having you guys in all our classes."

"Nah babe. It just gives us more reasons to look forward to lunch," piped in Sharpner. "Besides, we have the last class together."

"I suppose you're right Sharpie. So on another note, what's up with all the friendliness between you two?" Her question was directed at Videl and Gohan and a teasing smile graced her lips. The two teens looked at each other then at Erasa.

"I don't know what you mean." Gohan looked puzzled as he responded. It was only a ruse to hide his embarrassment of the topic. He knew exactly what she meant.

"Come on Gohan. You and Videl have been practically inseparable all week. What's the deal with all that?"

"I have to say, you guys have been pretty tight this week." Sharpner's agreement on the subject sent up red flags for both Gohan and Videl. It wasn't something they wanted to talk about at the moment.

"I'm just finding out that there was a good, decent guy behind all of his secrecy. I found another friend and that is the only thing that's going on."

"If you say so girl. I know you and I'll be talking about this with you later."

"Whatever Erasa. Just drop it now." Not another word was said and nobody noticed a slightly disappointed look grace Gohan's features before he continued eating. He knew Videl was just trying to avoid the topic, but her words sounded wrong to him. Something was different this week for sure, but neither of them had really talked about their current status with each other. He would have to bring it up later.

It seemed like an eternity, but it was only a few more hours before school let out. The giant mass of teenage flesh exited the building, eager to claim the hours of freedom that the afternoon would provide. That is, they would claim the freedom tainted with homework and studying. Not that it really mattered that there was homework. The general attitude held among many of the students was 'homework exists to be done at the last minute'. A group of four teens walked together through the ocean of flesh. Once outside, they were free to find more spacious paths to walk.

"I guess we'll see you tomorrow then." Erasa hugged both Videl and Gohan. "Me and Sharpie have some 'studying' to do. Right?" She latched onto the well-built teen's arm.

"Sure thing babe. We've got lots of 'material' to discuss."

"Oh I see. Well you two better get going then. Gotta keep those grades up and all." Videl smirked as she was saying this. She knew perfectly well that there would be more making out than studying going on. Gohan having since been clued on what was most likely taking place after knowing them for a while just smiled and nodded. A subtle hint of mirth could be seen in his eyes.

"Yeah. Bye guys!" Sharpner waved at his two friends as he led Erasa to his car. She was still latched onto him while they drove away. Videl shook her head as the watched the two blondes make their departure.

"Those two are so goofy. You gotta love them though."

"Yeah. They're good friends, just respectively loopy and athletics obsessed." Gohan said this with a grin. Videl simply nodded in agreement while smiling affectionately at the thought of them. Gohan looked around and saw that the thinning crowds were providing a bit more privacy. _"I guess now is a good time."_ He cleared his throat before looking around once more.

"Yes?" Videl looked up at him expectantly.

"So, um, we were having lessons tomorrow?" He inwardly kicked himself. _"Great job Mr. Backbone."_

_"Oh you're getting good. You won't even need me around at this rate."_

_"Shut up. I'm trying to focus."_

_"Fine. Don't get your panties in a twist."_

"Yeah. Thanks for reminding me! So is right after school good for you?"

"Yeah, that's perfect. Just come follow me after school."

"Alright. It sounds like a plan. See you tomorrow Gohan." She gave him hug and a peck on the cheek before taking out her jetcopter and flying home. Gohan was still processing what had happened.

"Crap. That's the second time I've mentally shut down. What's up with her lately? Well, I can't chicken out tomorrow. I've got to talk about this with her tomorrow." He made his way to an alley then took off for home.

It was a tired Gohan that attended school the next day. After juggling homework, Goten, his mother, and training, he had retired entirely too late. It almost seemed like the sun spitefully rose as soon as he had shut his eyes, but in reality, his body was simply too tired to be appeased with the sleep he had acquired. He had dozed off for a few minutes in class, and was duly reprimanded for his class napping. Somehow, he made it to the end of the day.

"Late night Gohan?" Videl giggled as he rubbed his eyes wearily.

"You have no idea." A slight yawn escaped his mouth as he also stretched. Suddenly, his eyes widened with realization. He searched his school bag. "I don't even know how I forgot about this stuff." Soon he produced a container full of pills. Videl watched in curiosity as he unscrewed the cap and popped two of the mysterious pills.

"What are those Gohan?"

"These are some energy boosters concocted by Bulma. They aren't addictive and they give you a quick boost for a few hours. She developed them when I voiced concern about my training schedule leaving me too tired to go to school." His face already had lifted and there was more life in his eyes. "That should hold me until tonight."

"Wow! That's really nifty. I bet it comes in handy a lot." She marveled at the amazing properties of the unheard of supplement.

"You have no idea how much they do. Okay, so how do you want to do this? You can follow me or I could carry you." Videl lifted an eyebrow as he suggested it.

"Why would you need to carry me? What's wrong with my jetcopter?"

"Oh, well you could follow me, but we would get to my house faster if I just carried you." He fidgeted nervously as he realized how awkward it was for him to make the suggestion. Videl smirked as she thought it over.

"Why not? I'd like to see how fast you can actually fly." Her eyes had a sparkle in them as she anticipated witnessing it. Gohan couldn't help grinning as she agreed to it.

"Okay. Hold on tight then." He blushed as he picked her up bridal style and prepared to take off. A red tint colored her face as she felt herself cradled in his arms. "Here we go. Are you ready?" She gave a nod to affirm her readiness.

For Videl, it was more intense and exhilarating than any method of flight by aircraft. It was almost as if the wild abandon of a rollercoaster ride had been combined with the grace of gliding or a stable aircraft flight. She clung to Gohan tightly not out of fear but out of excitement as he made a show of the ride briefly. She exclaimed in delight as he flew above the clouds and made several twists and loops in the air before making a sharp decent. He plummeted at an extreme vertical angle before stopping shy of the high treetops.

"I thought you might like that. I hope I didn't overdo it." Gohan peered down at her with concern.

"No way! That was amazing." Videl was beaming at him excitedly and was still breathless from the experience. Gohan grinned.

"Someday you'll be able to do that all by yourself."

"Really? Do you think so?" Her eyes were wide in wonderment at such a wonderful prospect.

"I know you'll be able to do it Videl. You're already skilled in martial arts, so you should adapt pretty quickly and learn the abilities required."

"Thanks Gohan." He smiled affectionately at her and she felt herself grow red. Thankfully he didn't notice and said nothing about it.

Soon, the two teens had arrived at the Son residence. Gohan landed softly on the lawn and released his precious cargo. Videl briefly dusted herself off and looked around.

"I hope the ride was satisfactory madam?" Gohan's eyes twinkled as he joked.

"It was a good ride indeed my fine sir. I think I'll keep you." She hit his arm playfully as she countered.

"I'm glad to hear it. I was thinking of charging for my services, but for you I'll keep it on the house." She laughed lightly at his quip.

"Well that was a short trip! No wonder you can make it to school from so far away. Wow, this place is beautiful." She took in all the lush trees in the distance and the green carpet of grass that was their lawn. It seemed to be unspoiled nature as far the eye could see, with the small Son residence being the only sign of civiliazation.

"Yeah. There isn't a town for several miles and the environment is perfect for living a peaceful life. Not much happens, but it's easier to enjoy the simple things in life." Gohan had a wistful and far off look on his face as he trailed off. He had gotten caught up in the tranquility of his surroundings.

"I envy you Gohan. You live in such an unspoiled place, your family sounds wonderful, and you can fly anywhere in the world." She gazed at him fondly and took in his innocent face. _"Why does just looking at him make me feel so good? I can't fight it now. I don't care if it makes me seem weak. It's too wonderful to keep locked away."_

"I live a blessed life, but it would be empty without friends like you." He gave her a warm smile, to which she smiled back sweetly. "Let's introduce you to my family. They're expecting you, so they should be eager to meet you."

"Sounds like a plan." They strolled casually to the front door.

"Mom! I'm home! My friend is here with me!" His call was answered by the sound of footsteps. Chichi appeared to greet them by the door.

"Welcome home Gohan. This must be your friend that I've heard so much about. I'm Chichi."

"Hi mom. This is Videl." He gestured to his waiting friend.

"It's good to meet you Ms. Son." Videl took Chichi's offered hand and shook it.

"Oh my. She's polite too, Gohan? You should definitely keep her."

"Mom!" Gohan felt like burying himself right then and there.

"Oh hush. I'm only playing around. All joking aside dear, just call me Chichi. My body already gives me enough reminders that I'm getting older. I prefer to avoid any external reminders of that fact."

"Very well Chichi. It's very nice to meet you."

"Likewise dear. Hold on a moment." She turned to the hall leading to the bedrooms. "Goten! We have a visitor! Come say hello!"

"Coming mom!" The bundle of young Saiyan energy bounded from the room to greet said guest. He stopped just short of colliding with the waiting group. Videl actually felt a small gust of wind blow over them as he stopped.

_"Wow. He must be a handful, considering what runs in THIS gene pool. If it runs in the family, then I don't want to even think about how strong this little guy is."_

"You must be that girl Gohan talks about. I'm Goten." He was giving her the once over with big, curious eyes. Videl smiled at his cuteness.

"It's nice to meet you Goten. I've heard all about what a good little brother you are." She ruffled his hair while she complimented him.

"Aw, if you say so. Wow, Gohan was right." Videl's face contorted in confusion.

"What do you mean? What did Gohan say about me?" She turned to him and received only a puzzled look. Suddenly a look of realization came upon him, but it was too late to shut up his oblivious young brother.

"He was telling me how pretty you are one day. I think I agree." Goten looked somewhat bashfully up at Videl. Videl smirked and her eyes narrowed as she looked at Gohan again.

"Oh really?" Gohan only chuckled weakly and scratched the back of his neck. "Well that's sweet of you." She planted a kiss on Goten's cheek to which Gohan sputtered and tried to hide his red face. The young boy giggled then ran outside, much to the consternation of Chichi.

"I apologize. My youngest one is still learning the finer arts of entertaining guests."

"It's okay. He's an adorable little guy. I think I can forgive him this time."

"Well good. I understand you were here to take flying lessons from Gohan. I know he has already given you all the dos and don'ts, but this is rather delicate information concerning the abilities he is capable of. I trust you will be courteous enough to keep it to yourself among your other friends." A stern look was on her face as she gave in to her motherly duty to lecture Gohan and any friend of his.

"Yes. I promise I won't tell anyone."

"Well good. Now that we have settled that, you make yourself at home. Anyone my Gohan considers a friend is more than welcome here. I'll leave you two alone now." With that, Chichi left to tend to Goten and to begin preparing food for the evening. The two teens watched his mother leave before departing as well.

"She's not THAT bad," said Videl of Chichi.

"Trust me. You won't know what I'm talking about until you see her angry. She's fine now, but if you ever make her mad or see someone make her mad, it would change your life." Gohan shuddered at the memories of tongue-lashings or disciplinary action unleashed upon him and his brother. "She can be overbearing, but she means well. It's only done out of love and concern."

"I'm sure. I wish my father cared that much. He just sets rules and leaves me to fend for myself. His head swells over any small and insignificant things he does for me. I know that he really does love me, but he's so caught up in his fame and himself. I wish he would just take sometime off from all the publicity and business and just spend more time with me. I care more about that than any of the nice things and luxury he's providing for me."

"Yeah, I guess it can be tough when your parents are always busy." Gohan looked around and saw that they had wandered a good ways from the house and that they were alone. He looked down at Videl and noticed how intently she was looking at him. They locked eyes and got lost in one another's eyes, Gohan in the deep blue of Videl's and Videl in the deep black of Gohan's. They stared into each other's eyes and drew closer, before Gohan caught himself. "We should get started."

"Yeah. You're right." Videl shook her head briefly to clear her thoughts. "So where do we start?"

"Right, well, I guess to get started, you'll need a good grasp of how energy works to start flying."

"Energy? You mean like that light you can shoot out of your hands? But I don't have any of that."

"You do. Everyone has a certain amount of ki within himself or herself. It's just that few ever learn to manipulate it and use it."

"So I actually have this energy or ki within me?"

"That's right. Anyone can learn to control it, and seeing as you have a good grasp of martial arts, I'm sure you'll pick up on it quickly. The first step is to learn to control it and bring it out of you, like this." He outstretched his palm and concentrated. Soon a glowing ball no larger than four inches emerged. It generated two inches above his open hand, almost as if it had appeared from nothing. Videl gazed on it in wonder as he held it up for her to see. She timidly reached out to touch it and found that it wasn't hot but soothingly warm to touch.

"It's not hot at all. I was expecting something with the potential to be so destructive to be really hot."

"The energy is well contained right now. When launched, I can choose to let it become volatile upon impact and then it explodes. If it is well controlled, I can keep it just as stable even upon impact. Watch." He threw the glowing light at a nearby rock and rather than erupt into a searing explosion, the ball came to rest on top of it. "I'm going to let go now. See what happens." Gohan lowered his hand and soon looked slightly more at ease. Almost simultaneously, the rock was blown to bits in an explosion the size of a small car. "If it's hot enough to burn, then that may well be about to happen."

"Okay. I get it now." She was still in awe at the spectacle she had witnessed.

"We're getting ahead of ourselves though. If you really want to go that far, I'm willing to teach you. You just need a basic grasp of energy control to start flying though. Let's work on bringing it out of you." He gestured for her to sit cross-legged as he sat down as well. She quickly was seated as well. "Alright. When searching for your ki, you have to search in the center of yourself. You won't be able to bring it out if you are tense and distracted. You need to be completely relaxed, but not limp." He brought his hands together as if cupping something or holding a bowl and concentrated. Moments later, a small glow appeared in his cupped hands.

"Okay. Like this?" Videl had cupped her hands in front of her in the same fashion demonstrated."

"Yeah. That's it. Now concentrate on your center. It's exactly like meditating. We're just meditating to find your ki now."

"Okay." She closed her eyes and began focusing. It took her a few minutes, but she began to feel soothing warmth within herself. It was almost like she could see it even though her eyes were closed. "I'm feeling something now. It's like I can touch it, but I don't know what to do now."

"That means you've found your energy. You need to focus and gently coax it out of you. Don't tense up though. It won't heed you if your muscles are too tense."

"I'm trying. It's not easy." She attempted to relax and concentrated more deeply. It was slipping away. It almost felt like she had a hand on it and was pulling it out, but it had slipped beyond where she could reach, back to where she could only see it.

"Relax Videl. Remember, it needs to be coaxed out. You can't force it out."

"I'm trying Gohan. It's just hard to focus. I've never done something like this before."

"I know, but you're doing great. Just keep at it."

An hour passed and Videl was a sweaty huddled figure by the end of it. She sagged in defeat and weariness as the energy within her slipped out of reach yet again. Gohan watched in concern as she laid flat on her back.

"Are you okay Videl?"

"Yeah, I'm just tired. I didn't realize it would be so exhausting."

"It can take a lot out of you, but you're doing great. It's only been the first day and you're so close to bringing it out. Don't be so hard on yourself."

"Thanks Gohan."

"I'm just being honest." He smiled an open warm smile at her. "By the way, I brought something to drink." He tossed her a bottle of water, which she eagerly caught. Upon thanking him, she drained the bottle entirely.

"I think I've rested enough. I'll try this again before we quit." She again assumed a position of meditation. She had her hands cupped to hold the energy she hopefully would bring out. _"Coax it out. Let's see. I think I've got it."_ Instead of grasping for the energy, she mentally beckoned for it to come out. It slowly began to come closer to her beckoning hand. Instead of reaching in for the energy, she waited, as it grew closer to her outstretched hand. After much concentration the energy came to rest in the mental hand. She took a hold of it and grasped it.

"Videl you've got it!" Gohan exclaimed excitedly as a ball of light appeared in her hands. She opened her eyes to see the light was indeed glowing brightly and warmly in her cupped hands.

"Wow, I can't believe I've done it!" She marveled at her own energy before diffusing and relaxing. Suddenly, she toppled over with her head in her lap.

"Videl! Are you okay!?" Gohan rushed over to lend assistance to the tired girl.

"Yeah, I'm fine." The raven-haired girl picked herself and attempted to stand. "I just feel like I've ran fifteen miles AND benched fifty two hundred pound reps." She suddenly collapsed again only to find herself leaning on Gohan's shoulder.

"Careful. Considering all the work you put into bringing out your energy and not having any experience in this, you might as well have done all of that. Just lean on me and I'll walk you to the house." Videl would have protested receiving all this aid, but she really couldn't resist under the circumstances. She nodded her consent and was lead to the house.

"I can't believe I'm reduced this over just some meditation." Videl shook her head.

"You'll be able to stand in a bit. You're body is just getting used to the shock of tapping into your ki. Your reaction shouldn't be so dramatic next time." Gohan looked at his tired companion and saw this disgusted look on her face. "Listen. This doesn't mean you're weak. Not everyone would still have this much strength after exerting so much energy to tap into their ki."

"Thanks Gohan. I'm just not used to feeling so small and needy." She smiled sweetly at him. Gohan didn't immediately acknowledge her as something was on his mind.

_"I guess now is better than never."_ He took a deep breath and collected his thoughts. "Videl...I have a question."

"Okay, shoot then." She patiently waited for him to continue.

"What are we exactly?"

"What do you mean?" A puzzled look was painted on her face.

"I mean, what am I'm to you?"

"Is this about that kiss back at my house?" Gohan hesitated before answering.

"Yes it is." Videl let go of him and stood on her own feet. She had gained enough strength to walk now. She looked at him cautiously and weighed answers in her head, deciding what was the best way to respond.

"What do you want us to be?" Her question had taken Gohan by surprise. He hadn't been expecting a response open to so many possibilities. She was looking at him intently and almost seemed like she was daring him to do something. She drew closer and waited for his response. He agonized over a list of possible cautious answers.

_"Screw caution."_

_"For once...I agree."_ He leaned in and captured her lips with his own. She was startled for a moment, but she didn't resist. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. Gohan couldn't believe what was happening. It had worked out better than he could have dreamed. They soon parted for breath but remained in each other's arms. "Does that answer your question?"

"I think so. I don't usually cater to such requests but I think I can handle it this time around."

"That's good to hear." Gohan grinned. This time Videl leaned in for another kiss. Gohan was surprised, but all to willing to oblige. He hungrily took her in and enjoyed her taste and the feeling of being so close. They parted shortly and were both panting as the released each other.

"I'd say that was a good lesson today." Videl smiled mischievously at her new boyfriend.

"I think so too. Say, it's getting late. Would you like to stay for dinner?" The girl didn't even need to think about it.

"I'd love to." The couple walked hand in hand to the Son residence. The sun was starting to set and it cast a golden haze over everything.

"By the way. Let's keep this from my mom for now."

"I concur."

Author's Notes; Sorry that I'm slow. Real life doesn't cater to my time for hobbies. I'm very music prone so writing takes a backseat to that, but I'm by no means quitting. I'll try to get something out ever two or three weeks. Also, if you see any errors about the Ox-King or the kingdom, I apologize. I haven't broken out the Dragonball in a while.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine; Distractions

A lone figure flew high in the sky over in Other World. The wind ruffled his mohawk as he flew at a casual pace. The Supreme Kai was making rounds and monitoring the progress of all the training warriors. His mouth was a grim, thin line as he assessed everyone. A disappointment was what the scene was. Time was running out, and it didn't seem like they were making enough progress. Why were they even bothering to prepare for the impending escape of Neeros? It seemed like a lost cause when he weighed it all together in his head. These sinister thoughts continued in his head as he flew on.

"What is that?" He peered ahead and saw a disturbance in the sky. Curiosity got the best of him and all discouraging thoughts were momentarily pushed aside. He drew closer and a look of dread and realization grew on his face. Before him were a few cracks that seemed to be forming in the very space of the air. They seemed like they were painted in the sky itself, but as he reached out towards it his hand was repelled, showing that it was very close indeed. He assessed the crack barely the size of his head then cursed. "We cannot let this come to fruition. He WILL be stopped." With a quick turnaround, Shin quickly flew back to the others. The training of all those preparing would be redoubled.

A month had passed and Gohan had continued his school/training routine. The inclusion of Videl in his time had been quite an adjustment, but somehow he found the time to continue training her and to be her boyfriend. There was no hiding their relationship from their friends and Erasa and Sharpner were in on their little secret almost immediately. Chichi remained unaware that Gohan and Videl were together, but she had her suspicions as she watched them interact with each other. A certain Saiyan prince was also suspicious of how Gohan was spending his time, and he had no intention of being polite about it either.

"What's eating you Vegeta?" A scanty nightgown clad Bulma watched her husband lay deep in thought on his side of the bed. He had gone to bed irritable, and any attempts to communicate with him had been shut down. She had decided to let him sleep on it and he had apparently not gotten any better. He seemed to be lost in thought, but he suddenly looked at her to acknowledge the question.

"I don't understand what the pathetic excuse for a Saiyan is doing to waste his time. All of these years, he hasn't been one to be a slouch. As soon as we all had our meeting at the lookout to find out what is going on, he had doubled his efforts to get stronger. Now over the past month his ki fluctuations have relaxed tremendously. He isn't pushing himself nearly as much as he has been. I want to find out what is going on."

"Oh Vegeta. Just because he's half-Saiyan doesn't mean he has to live up to your every expectation of how he should perform. He's still incredibly powerful and so are you. Maybe he needed to take a break before he pushed himself to the next level again? I'm sure you guys can handle whatever is coming when the time comes"

"This is not the time to be complacent. A human doesn't need to rest for a month, let alone a Saiyan. Doesn't he realize what is at stake?" Bulma looked at her mate in contemplation. Vegeta had certainly changed over the past few years. He was still gruff and put on these arrogant charades, but he had developed a soft spot. He really did care about what happened to his family, friends, and home. It had become his new drive to become stronger. Besting Goku was just a plus to add to his ambition. She drew closer and placed a reassuring kiss on his cheek.

"Everything will work out Vegeta. If you really are that concerned about it, then just talk to him." The Saiyan prince grunted before getting out of bed. He grabbed some training spandex and donned it before heading out.

"I'll do more than talk to the brat. Call him up after school." He departed for the gravity room, leaving Bulma to shake her head in exasperation before getting up as well.

"Would you two love birds quit whispering sweet nothings in each other's ears and come over here?" Sharpner waved at Gohan and Videl as he called them. They had lagged behind the blonde couple and were talking. Videl's arm had linked with Gohan's arm as they slowly followed behind. Over the past month, the two had grown very close. The training sessions between then served to not only improve Videl's skills, but to provide opportunities to spend time together as well.

"Leave them alone Sharpie!" Erasa huffed at her insensitive boyfriend. "It's very sweet."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. The sweetness can wait until the hunger is taken care of." Erasa rolled her eyes before following Sharpner to a table. Gohan and Videl soon caught up and joined them.

"How about we start interrupting you and Erasa, huh Sharpner?" Gohan smirked at Sharpner and watched him sputter while he was in the middle of sipping his beverage.

"Lay off brains. That's different." He crossed his arms and turned his nose up in joke indignation

"Yeah, that would be a nice blow to his inflated ego. Don't do it though. I savor the rare moments when my man is sweet to me." Erasa gave her boyfriend a sly smile as she received the response she was looking for.

"Come on babe! That's not fair! I'm sweet all the time!"

"Sure thing. Just eat your food." Sharpner pouted before biting into his sandwich. He shot all his smirking friends a glare while he chewed.

"Aw! Poor Sharpie! Don't pop a blood vessel now." Videl smirked as his glare only deepened. Gohan and Erasa snickered at the joke and at Sharpner's reaction.

"Yuck it up guys. Remind me why I even put myself through this again?"

"Oh come on Sharpner. It's not that bad. You know it's all in good fun."

"Yeah. Whatever." The long blonde pouted at his raven-haired friend.

Lunch concluded shortly and school didn't take long afterwards to wrap up. Perhaps the most popular group of Orange Star High walked on the green lawn of the campus. The crowds had thinned and they were talking time to do some afterschool chatting.

"So where is everyone headed? It's not the weekend for a few more days, but I was thinking we could all hang out at the ice cream shop, just for a bit?"

"I dunno Erasa. I have to check with home first." Gohan dug out a cellphone, courtesy of Bulma with which to call home with

"Well, my dad is fine with me going out as long as I'm home before dinner." Videl looked over at Gohan hopefully.

"Same here for me." Sharpner looked over at Gohan as he waited for the other line to pick up.

"Hello? Hey mom. I was wondering if...oh I'm sorry. Someone else is beeping in. It's Bulma. Just a moment mom." Gohan allowed the other call to come through, oblivious to the stares that two blondes were giving him. "Hello? Hey Bulma! What's up? Really? Do I have to come now? Okay. I'll be right over. Are you still there, mom? That was Bulma. She says I they need me to stop by for second. I'll be right home afterwards. Okay. Bye." Gohan hung up and finally saw the open-mouthed stares that Erasa and Sharpner were giving him. Suddenly he realized what had just happened. Videl was trying to stifle a laugh over Gohan's predicament.

"Dude! You know Bulma?" Sharpner was gawking at Gohan.

"Well, yes. Well, it was supposed to be a secret, but I guess that point is probably moot. My dad did a lot of traveling when he was a boy and Bulma was pretty adventurous when she was a teenager. She came across him and was first impressed by how strong he was at the time. He sort of became a bodyguard, but they became friends soon after. The Briefs have been family friends ever since."

"Wow, maybe Videl was right about you having secrets right after all. We keep finding out news things about you all the time." Erasa was standing in a daze after letting the information sink in. Gohan only chuckled and scratched the back of his head.

"Well, what did they want man?" asked Sharpner.

"Her husband is my occasional training partner. She says he has something urgent to discuss with me and that it would be in my best interest to drop whatever I'm doing and come over immediately." Gohan sighed as he looked over at Videl. She looked slightly disappointed, but seemed to understand. "What can you do? I guess we'll just have to hang out some other time." He looked at Videl once more and promised with his eyes he would see her later. She simply nodded.

"Well Videl, it won't be the same without Gohan, but you could still join me and Sharpner."

"Yeah, sure." The group said their goodbyes and Sharpner went over to the street to take out his capsule car. Videl, lingered for a moment next to Gohan as Erasa and Sharpner were getting ready to get in the car. "Something is going on Gohan. I can feel it whenever I'm around you. From what I've heard about Vegeta, he isn't one for social calls, so I know something is up." Gohan gave her an all at once exasperated and affectionate look.

"There's no hiding things from you is there? Well, your persistence is partly what attracted me to you." Gohan smirked as Videl narrowed her eyes at him. It wasn't something she had done in a while.

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Son Gohan."

"I know, don't worry. I've done enough hiding from you as it is. Sometime soon I promise to fill you in."

"Okay. Since you promised, I'll hold you to it!" Her expression softened at once and she gave him a longing look. She kissed him briefly on the lips. "Bye."

"See you later." As she turned, Gohan grinned like an idiot. "That should be your default 'goodbye'!" Videl turned around and smirked.

"C'mon girl! Me and Sharpie are gonna leave you!"

"I'm coming! Hold your horses!" Videl quickly ran and jumped into the waiting car. Gohan watched as his friends made his departure.

"Time to go." He ran into a deserted alley and took off towards Capsule Corp. to meet up with the gruff Saiyan prince. "I wonder what's so important?" He continued to speculate as he flew over the city. In a few minutes, he was already in sight of the large dome. He touched down a few feet from the door and rang the doorbell.

"May I help you?" A childish voice answered via an intercom by the door.

"Hey Trunks! I'm here to meet your dad!" Gohan could already tell it was the mischievous half-Saiyan trying to pull a prank.

"I'm sorry sir. I'll need a name and verification please. Afterword...OWW!"

"Trunks! How many times have I told you to quit pranking people with the intercom? Go to your room! You won't play any video games or watch TV for the rest of the day!"

"But mom!"

"No 'buts'! Now go do it now!"

"Fine!"

"And cut the attitude or I'll have your father train with you all afternoon for a month and you'll only get one plate at dinner!"

"Yes mom!" The last response came out as a squeak. Gohan couldn't help chuckling at the exchange. His voice seemed to remind Bulma that they still had a guest.

"Oh! Come in Gohan! I'm sorry about that boy of mine. Vegeta has been expecting you." The door opened to allow Gohan access to the building. He walked in to find Bulma already coming down the hallway. "Hey Gohan. I'd stop for small talk, but Vegeta really wants to see you. Meet him in the gravity room."

"It must be really important. I'll head that way then." With a wave, Gohan headed for the aforementioned training room. On the way, he noted the unusual silence. It was unusual not to hear the sound of explosions and crashes from the occasional ki oriented training. He knew Vegeta must have been waiting patiently for him. The thought of it made Gohan uneasy and set him on edge. Finally, he approached the metal door of the gravity room.

"It took you long enough, brat." A voice blared for the small intercom on by the door. "Don't just stand there then. Come inside." Gohan eagerly complied and entered the training room. He took off his nicer shirt, leaving on a sleeveless undershirt before venturing in.

"So what's this all about Vegeta?" The older man looked at him solemnly for a moment before speaking.

"I want to know what you've been up to lately."

"That's all? I'm going to school and training like always." Vegeta's solemn expression evaporated as his eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"Like hell. That's all you've been doing?" Gohan looked exasperatedly at Vegeta.

"Okay, I've also been training one of my classmates on the side. She's shown a lot of promise and already knows how to fly."

"Training eh? Are you sure that's all your doing? I'm pretty sure that mark on your face didn't come from Bulma, otherwise I think we would have even more to talk about." Gohan began to feel irritation towards the Saiyan prince.

"I don't see how this is any of your business." He wiped the lip mark from his face as he glared at Vegeta.

"Oh, but it is. You've been slacking off, and it's all of our necks that are on the chopping block. Do you realize what's at stake boy? You can suck face with that girl and whisper sweet nothings in each other's ear as much as you like, but when we die from your negligence I hope you've had your fill. As much as it pains me to admit this, what's coming is something that I can't face alone. It looks like I'll have to though." The glare Vegeta sent Gohan was as equally out of anger and a challenge.

"You think I don't realize that!? I haven't just been slacking off." Gohan crouched into a fighting stance and began to gather his ki. An aura surrounded him as he powered up. "I thought you had something urgent to talk to me about. You only called me in here just to hound me about my training. That really pisses me off."

"Then prove me wrong boy." Vegeta lowered into a stance of his own. He beckoned for Gohan to make the first move, which he was all too eager to do.

"Gladly." He charged towards Vegeta at a medium pace. The Saiyan prince smirked in arrogance at the seemingly unaggressive attack.

"All too predictable boy!" He prepared for the frontal attack that was sure to follow and was about to unleash the appropriate counter for such a charge. Right as Vegeta's fist was about to sneak through a hole in Gohan's defenses and score the anticipated blow, it went through an after image. He didn't even have time to register confusion as he was struck from behind just as soon as he hit the fading image of Gohan. Not one to give up the initiative, Gohan followed up with a crushing sidekick to Vegeta's back. The blow sent him flying into wall of the gravity room.

"What was that about being predictable?" Gohan stood not in a defiant and arrogant stance, but confidently. Vegeta picked himself up then brushed off his training spandex. He let out a chuckle.

"Not bad kid. Really. It's not bad, but nothing to write home about." He stopped to crack his neck then charged this time. Gohan prepared himself to block the attack but it never came. Vegeta vanished from sight and a small explosion knocked Gohan onto his back.

"What?" Gohan shook off the haze, as he was dizzy from the unexpected blow. Vegeta stood coolly to the side with his hand still smoking. He had launched a ki blast and disappeared at the same time.

"Like I said. It's not bad, but it is quite unoriginal. Are we ready to fight or are you going to unleash all your tricks at once at me? If I may offer some advice, it's not wise to pull something out of the bag right away. Ideally, you would use your tricks to gain a tactical advantage when you fear you are losing ground. It's common sense really." Gohan brushed himself off and dropped into a fighting stance once again.

"Very well. I'll show you what I've been up to then." He prepared to power up even more.

"You still don't get it boy, do you?" Vegeta prepared his own ki as well. A golden aura enveloped them both as they transformed into Super Saiyans. Their golden locks became spikier and electricity sparked around them as they both ascended to the second level of Super Saiyan. Soon they both stopped powering up when they reached what seemed to be their maximum. They both stood for a few moments before both nodding at each other. They both charged faster than the eye could see at each other. The blows rocked the whole of the Capsule Corp. complex.

Meanwhile, Videl and the blonde couple were seated near a window at a local ice cream shop. Videl was looking out the window with a distant look on her face. Her ice cream was starting to melt.

"What's up, Videl? Your ice cream is melting." This shook Videl from her musing and she turned to acknowledge her friends.

"Oh yeah. Thanks." She ate the ice cream that was starting to run down her cone.

"What's up Videl? You don't seem all here at the moment." The long blonde looked at her out of both concern and curiosity. Erasa gave her boyfriend a smirk.

"C'mon Sharpie! It's because Gohan isn't here with us. She probably misses him."

"No. That's not it." Videl was beyond blushing at petty assumptions such as this by now.

"Sure, Videl. Just act all stoic as usual. Who would have thought you would be one of those girls that look like a lost puppy without her boyfriend. After everything you've said about them to!"

"That's really not it. It's just that Gohan and me have to talk about something. It's on my mind and I hope he doesn't wait too long before he explains something."

"Oh come on girl! You know that Gohan wouldn't hide things like that. He's let you in now that you and him are dating right? He just hid stuff in the beginning because he didn't know us that well. I mean he does have a lot going for him. I can't blame him for not telling just anyone about what going on in his life." Videl let the words sink in.

"You're right Erasa. Gohan trusts me now and wouldn't be secretive now. It just seemed important so I was concerned. I don't have anything to worry about." Videl brushed it off and tried to enjoy the afternoon with her friends. _"But I do have reason to be concerned. What on earth is Vegeta meeting Gohan for? Their power levels are through the roof right now. I hope nothing is wrong."_

Vegeta and Gohan broke apart after an intense series of attacks were traded. A few bruised were present on their faces and arms and Gohan was sporting a trickle of blood from his lip.

"It looks like I've proved my point." Vegeta powered down as he spoke.

"What are you talking about Vegeta? You've yet to gain any advantage over me and I could do this all night."

"I could say the same and that's precisely my point. We're dead even right now. Of course you are much more powerful than you were seven years ago. You could probably handle Cell in your basic Super Saiyan form, but where is that gap between us that there used to be? I've caught up. You are no longer the strongest fighter on this planet."

"So? You always strive to achieve greater power than my father. As his son it should bring you pride that you're on equal footing with me now."

"You may be his son but you are not him. Kakarrot would never have allowed me to be less than a step behind him. You're just riding on your father's name and even though it's brought you far you'll soon be left behind. I'm pretty sure that Kakarrot is leaving us in the dust up in Other World. Does that stop me from trying? No. Because I am the prince of all Saiyans and I will not allow myself to be outdone. I may not be ahead of him now, but what's to stop it from happening one day if I try hard enough? Your father once told me that he was taught that with hard work, even the lowest born can outdo the elite. I laughed at him at the time but it's true. He did surpass me in strength and put me to shame. But if it's true for him then it's also true for me. He had pride in himself and what he could be capable of. He pushed towards it and achieved what he was striving for. It's what Saiyans used to believe in before Frieza enslaved us and brought about a pride in our own superiority. It was pride in ourselves and in what we could become. With this pride I am striving for the possibility that I could one day reclaim my crown as the most powerful of all Saiyans. With this strength that I attain from my drive, I will defend everything important to me. Can you look me in the eye and tell me you have this same pride?" Gohan contemplated the words that Vegeta had spoken. He knew he was right but wouldn't relent.

"What does that have to do with me?"

"You don't get it boy? You've lost the pride in yourself and the blood of your people. You train just to train without a real purpose. As such, you've given in to distractions and have further lost your drive. Why do you train?"

"To defend my friends and home from any threats! I don't see how that's so hard to see!" Vegeta stared hard at Gohan, making him back slightly from the resolve and determination that emanated from the prideful Saiyan prince.

"If this is true. Then live like it. Reclaim your pride and resolve, or you will be helpless to defend what is distracting you. You may take your leave. Don't show me your face again until you have done what I have asked of you. Take it as a command from your Prince." Vegeta strode out of the room and grabbed a towel. He was headed for the shower.

"He's right." Gohan powered down and looked at his hands. "What have I been doing? He exited the room and grabbed his shirt.

"Hey Gohan! Did Vegeta get what he wanted from you?" The blue haired genius walked up after he had dressed.

"Yes Bulma. I think he did." Bulma looked at him cryptically at the inconclusive answer.

"You think? Well whatever. Would you like to stop for a drink or a snack before heading home? I could have a robot bring you something."

"That's okay Bulma. I should really head home. Thanks though."

"Okay kiddo. Well, I'll be seeing you around then. Don't be a stranger!"

"Yeah! I'll be back soon!" Gohan smiled to be accommodating but it was soon replaced by a frown as he flew towards home. "I need to step it up. Vegeta's right. What if I can't stop whatever threat comes our way? I can't rely on everyone else forever. I thought I had trained well, but I guess not well enough."

Meanwhile, Shin sat lost in thought. Not even the explosions and yells around him could jar him from his daydreaming.

_"This goes against everything we have been taught! Power is for the service of others, not for the gratification of ourselves!"_

_"Who gives you the right to tell me what power is and is not for? You claim this petty ideal is the purpose of power, but don't tell me that your aspirations as Supreme Kai wasn't to shape this land into the land that you've always dreamed of. You call it a land of freedom and of equal rights to all people, but don't tell me that your resolve wasn't self-serving."_

_"You know that's not true. I aspired to a noble cause and it required many sacrifices over the years. I knew that I couldn't always be there for you, but I made my choices for your own good. I knew that the sacrifice would be worth the gain someday."_

_"You can keep your damnable lies to yourself. You abandoned me and left me to be the long arm of the law. You promised me that we were partners in a cause greater than ourselves, but you spurned me and only wanted me when you wanted someone dead. It's too late for amends brother. I will show you that though I was always the lowest and the least privileged in the family, I will rise above you to become a god. My power has become the greatest in any dimension and I can bend the walls of all existence to my will."_

_"How can you say this? I loved you! My obligations kept me from always taking care of you. You were abused by my lower authorities and to my everlasting shame, they have done damage that I can't undo."_

_"Let you and them all be damned! I will butcher all of you as examples of your inferiority. All existence will exalt me as the supreme ruler of everything._

_"You speak blasphemy! I've come here to save you but you condemn yourself with your words. It is beyond my power to redeem you."_

_"Fine then. Let me be damned. Let you be damned. Let the whole hellhole of a universe be damned. Finally, when there is nothing left to damn, we will all come together to find a futile means of redemption. We will spend eternity trying to rid everything of the filth that has tainted everything to the core. You can do this. But I will wipe everything out of existence. I will then build a new world exactly as it should have been and I will be a god whom none can question."_

_"You can bend the dimensions at your will but you cannot bring something out of nothing. What you kill you cannot recreate."_

_"Is that so? Well, a perfect nonexistence to rule over is better than a whole universe of imperfection to fix."_

_"No! Stop my brother! The ramifications are far greater than you can comprehend!_

"No! Stop!" Shin was suddenly jarred from his thoughts by a nearby exlosion. A tall pink kai turned and looked at him in concern.

"Are you alright my lord?"

"Yes Kibito. I was just thinking. I got caught up in it."

"Very well sir." He turned to continue observing the training. Shin rubbed his temple and walked to a more private location.

"I am sorry my brother. I was not and I'm still not strong enough to save you from yourself." He was left in his repentant musing and no one disturbed him for the remainder of it.

Authors Note: Sorry for the wait. I'm just really busy and writer's block comes a lot for me lately. Thanks to the few who read this and any constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten: Getting Serious

It had been over two weeks since the encounter with Vegeta. Gohan spent each morning and afternoon absolutely alone and without company, the time spent in training and in soul searching. He would come in battered and strained for breakfast and be absolutely spent when dinner rolled around, only to train even more until midnight before turning in. After about five hours of rest, the whole process would start all over again and it was taking its toll on him and his family.

His friends weren't oblivious to it either and could see the weariness that laced his eyes. It wasn't a weariness that only seemed to manifest physically, but it burdened him mentally and emotionally as well. It seemed like the weight of the world was crashing on top of him and everyone was watching it slowly break him. Gohan knew that his concerned friends would have something to say yet again about his haggard appearance.

"You're a minute earlier than ususal Gohan." Chichi looked up from cooking as Gohan entered the kitchen and grabbed a plate. Although she had been teasing him, the statement had indeed been true. The clock read 7:09 instead of his usual 7:10.

"I guess I did that much better this morning," Gohan joked right back to his mother.

"Maybe you'll do two minutes better tomorrow and three minutes better the day after!" The humor was hopelessly lost on Goten as he enthusiastically took in the conversation at face value. Gohan couldn't help but chuckle at his naive brother.

"Maybe so, squirt." Gohan affectionately ruffled Goten's hair as he took a seat at the table.

"Okay boys. Here's some more food, so dig in." Chichi placed another oversized platter of breakfast items on the table to accompany the other ten.

"Thanks mom!" both boys spoke in unison as they prepared to stuff their faces full of breakfast. In record speed, the table was soon clear of food, not counting the small amount that Chichi was still consuming.

"Thanks for breakfast mom! It was good as always. I've got to get going now, so I'll see you after school."

"Bye Gohan. Have a good day. Don't be home very late today."

"I won't!" He ran to the room to get his things together and quickly brushed his teeth. Once he was sure that he had taken all the necessary steps of preparation, he jumped out the window and blasted off into the sky. "Let's see. I should be there at ten till. Great! I won't be late today!" Although he felt a bit tired from his daily routine, the revelation of his punctuality gave him a bit of a boost. He flew all the way to school with a grin on his face.

School had passed without a hitch and Gohan was glad of that. The less stress school gave him the better, as his training was beginning to takes its toll on him. He casually walked towards the doors in anticipation of the freedom and fresh air.

"Hey Gohan! Do you realize that winter break starts next month?" Erasa disrupted his anticipative musings.

"Well, yeah. I'm still aware of the time Erasa." Gohan chuckled at his bubbly friend. "What about it?"

"Well, after all the holidays die down, I usually have a sleepover before school starts. I know that it's a far way off, but since I am the master planner of all things party and fun, I thought we should give you a chance to check your calendar. What do you think?" Gohan frowned slightly as he thought of the missed training something like that would probably cause.

"Oh, well, I'll need to check with our family plans. I'll definitely see if I'm free though."

"You better, brains! I don't want to be the only guy at this shindig, like every other year. I'll be nice to have more testosterone to balance out all the estrogen." This earned him a smack upside the head, courtesy of Videl.

"You should enjoy that Sharpner! You get to sleep over with two hot girls."

"Bah...not so hot when you have me hopping to the kitchen every ten minutes for a drink or snack during a movie."

"It's good exercise to keep your body 'gorgeous' and 'ripped'. And you're using big words now! I bet Erasa is SO hot for you now!"

"Hardy har har. You're a boss with the humor just like you boss it with those crooks, Videl."

"Oh come on Sharpie!" Erasa clung to his arm and pouted. "You love us and you know it."

"Yeah, whatever." He grudgingly admitted before giving her an affectionate smile.

"Well guys, this is where I go. I'll see you next week!"

"See you Gohan!" The blonde couple waved to him as he headed out.

"Well guys, I think I'm leaving too. I've got some things to do this evening. See ya!" Videl gave a courtesy wave before running off as well.

"Well, we're all alone babe. What to do?"

"Oh, I have a couple things in mind." Erasa giggled to him. They linked arms and took off on another excursion.

"I hope you two have fun." Videl eyed the couple from the air as they headed into the city. "I have a bit of fun of my own planned out. It doesn't have anything to do with getting lip locked either." The spunky daughter of Hercule Satan flew full speed to towards Gohan's ki signature. It was to her advantage that he had his mind on a lot of things and wasn't flying too quickly. All that time training her to more skillfully utilize her ki to fly quickly and sense life force wasn't hurting either. She caught up to him in less than ten minutes.

"All this time trying to find myself and get stronger hasn't done a thing for me. I'm still just as conflicted as I when I was a child. Still, my friends mean a lot to me. What am I supposed to do?" Gohan mused aloud, as he was unaware of his pursuing company.

"Do about what?" Gohan whipped around to see his raven-haired girlfriend just behind him.

"Videl! Why are you following me home? We agreed that we were postponing your training."

"Forget about that. I want to talk about what's bugging you lately."

"Okay? Couldn't you have called me? Who says something is bugging me anyway?"

"Don't give me that crap! We need to talk about this face to face." Her face flared with anger as she spoke. "I know you Gohan. You always do this and shut down when someone asks you anything! I know you are training for a threat, but aside from that, I hardly know what's going on with you anymore. You're becoming distant again. I just want to know what's bothering you. How can you say you trust me when you don't tell me anything!" She paused and panted, partly from being out of breath and partly from using so much ki to catch up to him. She let the words sink in as he waited for his thoughts to settle.

"I don't want you all to get hurt. I'm being distant for your own good. If I allow myself to be distracted, then we all could very well die. Vegeta told me that I'm losing focus and it's true. He's caught up to me slowly but steadily. Soon he will surpass me and if he is afraid of what's coming, how can I stop it if Vegeta is already stronger than me? This threat is a danger to the entire universe, and the only way we can survive is if we all are trying our best." There was pause as Gohan assessed her reaction. She waited patiently for him to say anything else that he might still need to say. "I never wanted you or anybody to feel pushed away or spurned. I just care to much too let anything happen that I would regret." Gohan looked down at his feet as his mood darkened at the thought.

"Gohan." Videl stated his name simply yet compassionately as she closed the gap between them. She embraced him and buried her face in his chest. "You say that we won't survive if we don't try our best, but you forget that you and Vegeta aren't the only ones trying." He looked down at her, puzzled at her words. "How can I survive if I don't try my best? I may not be as powerful as you or your friends, but I refuse to sit on the sidelines and die a spectator."

"Videl, it's too dangerous. When we leave to confront Neeros, you aren't coming." This earned a slap to his face. "Oww! What the heck was THAT for?"

"You're such an idiot, Gohan! What if something happens on Earth? You think someone is going to magically appear to defend us while all of you are gone or that we'll all just be peachy while the fate of the universe rests on the outcome of some battle, millions of miles away!" Gohan gave her his classic bewildered look at her outburst.

"You wanna defend Earth? But you're not even strong enough to defeat my uncle Raditz!"

"Don't be such an ass Gohan! I need you to continue training me of course!"

"I won't make enough progress if we do that though! I'm starting to gain a slight gap over Vegeta again. I'll lose all my progress if I don't keep training!"

"We'll use The Room of Spirit and Time! You said that a person could spend a whole year in there at the expense of one day in our dimension. The conditions are also much more harsh than normal conditions on earth. It would be perfect!"

"That's not safe Videl! You aren't as experienced as I was when I went in there. It's still not even safe for me!"

"I mastered flying in only a week, and it only took another week for me to learn how to manipulate and fluctuate my ki. I could handle anything you throw at me Gohan."

"It's just too dangerous. I can't risk you getting hurt."

"Why are you so afraid! Why can't you just trust that I'm capable of taking care of myself! Is it because you still think I'm weak!"

"No, you're one of the most naturally strong people I know!"

"Then why won't you give me a chance!"

"BECAUSE I CAN'T STAND TO LOSE SOMEONE ELSE!" Videl was stunned at the sudden aggression in his voice. Gohan, seeing he had cowed her quickly softened his demeanor. "I've already lost my father. Losing someone else I love would break me." Videl floated a few feet away and didn't saying anything. She turned as if she were ready to fly away.

"Losing you would break me too, ya know? And I'm not your father. This isn't the Cell Games happening all over again." Gohan looked at his shoes in shame, as the comparison suddenly seemed so irrelevant. "If you can't trust me like I need you to trust me, then how can we make this work between us? There may as well be nothing at all if you can't have faith in me." He looked up in shock at her words. She turned to look at him with a fire and conviction in her eyes that almost scared him. "Think about it." She flew away to leave a forlorn Gohan to evaluate everything he had thought. He turned and made his way home.

There was tension building at the humble abode of Master Roshi, but not nearly on such a dramatic scale.

"Put your back into it, Krillin!"

"I'm going as fast as I can!"

"Well, I guess that's why they call it training! So if this is as fast as you can go, then you need to get faster and stronger!" The harsh drill instructor also known as Eighteen, reprimanded her husband. They were both doing push-ups side by side, although it was more of instructor participation for Eighteen. Her unlimited amount of energy allowed her to keep up an intense pace for far longer than even a superhuman like Krillin could go, although he wasn't very far behind her in strength by now.

"Sheesh! You would have thought we could have dinner before all of this, 18?"

"Nope. It's only 5:00 right now. You can go another two hours."

"Two hours? But I'll hit 8,000 of these in at least 15 minutes!" Krillin looked slightly hopeful and gave his most pleading look to 18. The look quickly vanished after her next response.

"Ha! This is only the warm-up. Some measly 8,000 sit-ups and push-ups can hardly be called training for someone of your level. You could deal with Frieza by now if you put your back into it! No way! We'll finish with some heavy sparring after this."

"Oh, well that's just great." sighed Krillin. _"Cell made Frieza look like a firecracker next to a tank though. I sure I hope I can help against this new freak on the scene. That Neeros sounds like more trouble than anything I can imagine."_

"Don't worry, Krillin. I'll make it worth your while." 18 gave him a sly grin and winked. Krillin's dark mood was quickly forgotten as the prospect of a reward from his wife made him flush. A stupid grin plastered itself onto his face.

"Alright! Now we're talking! This is gonna be a cinch!" He continued working out with a renewed fervor.

"Oh yeah, Krillin!" Came a familiar and lecherous voice. "She works em' hard and rewards em'! Hot stuff your wife there!" A lone ki blast hit him where he sat, effectively shutting up the perverted old man and leaving him lying singed and dazed in his beach chair. Krillin's hand smoked as he did one-arm push-ups with the other. He suavely blew on a smoking finger before continuing with both hands.

_"Still got it, baby."_ A smug grin was plastered to his face. Eighteen shook her head, very unimpressed with the bravado. She couldn't help but smirk in amusement though. The old pervert had it coming, and her husband was sticking up for her.

_"Men. Can't live with them, can't live without them." _Her smirk turned into an affectionate smile as her sometimes awkward husband pushed himself on. She knew she gave him a hard time and that the upcoming events made him apprehensive, but he was training hard to protect her. It reminded her of why she even loved him in the first place. Only he had taken many steps to make her happy at great personal expense. He would always give himself for her and his family and she would always love him for it.

An explosion rocked the wilderness, the thunderous bang resonating for miles as a ki blast collided with the barren ground. The shockwaves kicked up a thick dust cloud, making the sky a hazy mixture of blue and brown as it slowly settled back on the desolate landscape. A tall and muscular figure, accompanied by a short man standing no higher than two feet panted from the exertion of rendering such destructive force through ki.

"That was incredible, Tien!" The short man's high-pitched voice broke the silence that had just settled after the din of the explosion. "You must have focused twice as much destructive power into that attack than before." The taller man only frowned at the compliment.

"Yes, Chaozu. It was a very powerful technique indeed. If I were to have been fully powered up, I probably could rendered half of the earth barren from the explosion if that were my intention. The problem is that I'm wasting too much energy in one attack. By it's very nature, as a finishing move, it will obviously use a lot of ki, but this is simply too much. I had to do the very same thing as a last resort a long time ago against Nappa, and it cost me my life. I need to somehow create a balance in destructive power and ki manipulation. That way I can still pull it off and not kill myself even if I've already spent a portion of my ki."

"I see. But you must be getting close. I can feel it!"

"I appreciate the optimism." Tien smirked in slightly cynical amusement. "You are right though. I know I can do this. I just need to experiment with my flow of ki. That's enough of this technique for the day though. Let's finish up with some sparring. I know it's a lot to ask of you to spar so often, seeing as there has been a gap between us for a while. It really does help to have an opponent though."

"Don't mention it, old friend. You're on!" Chaozu floated and got into his unique fighting stance. They clashed as a "light" spar ensued.

Yamcha stood as still as stone as he focused his ki. It had long been dark in the time zone he was currently training in, but he still pushed on with fervor he hadn't had in years. A cold wind blew in his favored desert as the sun had long since gone down. He paid it no mind as he reached the desired level of ki needed for this particular maneuver.

"Alright, Puar! One more time, and then I'll unwind so we can turn in for the night. Sound good to you?"

"Okay, Yamcha! I'll get everything in the capsule house situated and prepare a light meal for us."

"Thanks a bunch, Puar. You're a real pal." He thanked the retreating form of his loyal cat. To this day, he didn't dare question how she could float or speak as intelligently as any human. She once told him that she had simply been the smartest kitten in a litter born from a genetically altered cat, and he left it at that. When you encounter boys who are half your height that have the power to destroy a giant boulder with their bare hands or demolish your house and various aliens bent on world domination or destruction, you tend to be less questioning of small stuff like a talking cat.

His aura flared around him into a blazing flame of white ki as he prepared the technique and small rocks began to float on his generated energy. Suddenly two balls of yellow ki erupted from his palms. They floated over his open hands then suddenly flashed brilliantly before dividing into two each, making four. This procedure repeated a few more times until he had thirty-two of the glowing orbs floating around him.

"That ought to do it. It's a bit more than last time, so we'll see how well this goes." He suddenly spread his arms open wide and the balls of ki followed his beckoning arms. They began to spread out all around him and started flying in various directions in a circuit around him. "Time to let them go." With a quick motion of closed palms, the deadly orbs began to fly towards him. It became pandemonium as the thirty-two ki blasts sought to claim the target that was their master. Yamcha adeptly dodged and evaded them, deflecting the few that managed to get too close to him. His swats never disengaged them or sent them into another target as they quickly homed onto him again. This dance of death continued for several minutes as he gracefully dodged, flipped, and ducked the glowing projectiles.

"Time to end this." His palms shot out retaliation towards the many blasts intent on harming him. Two fell, then two more, then a few more, as he shot down all of the ki-based missiles that came for him. The whole area was aglow in the light of the many explosions that miraculously never harmed the house. Soon, it was down to the last two. They were easily put out of commission as Yamcha sent two well-aimed shots into them. The whole thing had been a breeze, or so he had thought. A stray ki blast engulfed him in an explosion the size of a small house.

"Yamcha!" Puar had seen the whole thing and quickly rushed to his aid. A puff of smoke from the explosion still fizzled out as the victim of it fell to the ground with a loud thud. "Are you okay Yamcha!" His body was singed and his face held a grimace, but he was still alive and conscious.

"Yeah, Puar. I'm fine. I'm just a little shook up, but it's nothing a couple extra hours of sleeping in tomorrow won't fix. I must have miscounted in all the excitement." He shook it off as he rose from the ground, a hand still on his head due to a lingering headache.

"Please be more careful next time!" The worried cat floated shoulder height as it helped hold him steady while he walked.

"You can count on it. I've already mastered it as an attack and I can control the volley for evasive and retaliation exercises, but I need to be more attentive next time."

"Please do. I don't want my master deep fried from a training exercise."

"Don't worry Puar. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. It's just been a long time since I've pushed myself to my limit. I used to stand on equal footing with everyone, including Goku. Although I can't catch up with the Saiyans, I can at least close the gap that Krillin and Tien have made between them and me. That's enough of that though. Let's get freshened up and have a bite to eat."

"Certainly! You need your rest!" Both of them, weary from training and worry respectively, entered the capsule house for a well-earned rest.

Gohan sat, deep in though as the day winded down. He had tried to enjoy a relatively routine evening of training, eating, and brief studying. Any joy from company of family or good food left a bitter taste in his mouth as he has stewed over his girlfriend's words the whole time. She had practically told him if he didn't trust her despite his decision, then they were through.

She was right if he was willing to be fair about it. She wasn't some helpless girl who couldn't take care of herself. She was mentally and physically strong and was capable of only getting even stronger. She would probably okay in the training room if he kept an eye on her, and he really did need to be more trusting of her and her choices. She was willing to share her heart, but she needed her independence.

If he admitted it, his desire not to include her was purely selfish. He needed her to be safe. He couldn't bear the thought of her dying or getting hurt. If he kept her in a box and shielded her, maybe he could make up for that mistake that haunted him no matter how much he convinced himself he had let it go. To his chagrin, she was fighting him tooth and nail to change his mind. In the end, she would only break out of that box and insist on standing beside him. It was his admiration of her stubborn devotion that made him realize how much he cared about her.

"Penny for your thoughts, Gohan?" His mother had been watching him for a few minutes and he had never even known of her presence.

"Eh, I had a fight with Videl. She kind of was right, but it's more complicated than just going back to her and admitting I was wrong." His mother raised an eyebrow at him.

"Well, I don't know the circumstances, but usually the first step in making amends when you've wronged someone is apologizing." His mother entered the room and took a seat beside.

"Well, that's the easy part. It WOULD make things better if I apologized, but then she would have expectations of me. I'm not sure if I'm ready to deal with the stress those expectations would place on me." Chichi raised her eyebrow at her son yet again.

"You better not be talking about sex, Gohan. It's one thing to find out you had been going out after all this time, but finding out your son has been conspiring to have sex while in high school and unmarried is another thing. I don't want miniature Gohans and Videls running around until you can afford to provide for and love a family!" Gohan turned a bright red at Chichi's assumption.

"No mom! I wouldn't do that yet! I'm not ready for that yet! Why would you think that!"

"Well, you can never be so sure with teenagers. You raise them to practice restraint and self-control then they go wild the next moment!" She was about to go into a rant as she raised her fist, but realized they were still discussing Gohan's problem. "Ahem! Continue." She coughed into her fist to hide her embarrassment.

"Well, I was afraid a particular training is too much for. I didn't want to put her in harms way. What if she got hurt or maybe got overly confident after the training? I could never live with myself if the training hurt her or she took on someone too strong for her and got killed." He paused to catch his breath and accept the truth of the situation. "But the fact of the matter is, she could probably take the training just fine and she would be smart enough to know what's too much to take on. I'm just being selfish and putting her in a box." Chichi eyed her son with amusement and let out a small laugh.

"You sound worse than I did when I was a younger mother. If you already know the answer to your own question then you should just accept it. She's a stubborn girl and won't be put on a leash. Just have faith in her and put aside your worries. It's okay to be concerned, but you can't stop her from taking her own chances. I couldn't stop you." She said this with a knowing smile. She had long since resigned herself to the fact that her family was a bunch of super beings with extraordinary power. What could you do other than accept that your family was meant for bigger things than you had first planned? Her smile said it all and Gohan immediately understood. He pulled her into a grateful embrace.

"Thanks mom, now I know what I should do. You mind if I take a day off this weekend to do the training then? It's for me just as much as her. I also, should see her and apologize before it get's very late."

"That's fine with me, but shouldn't you wait until tomorrow to speak to her? Gohan? Where are you going! Wait!"

"Thanks mom! Be back in less than an hour!" He flew into the night sky and left a frustrated Son Chichi in his now empty room.

"That boy. After all these years, you would think he would grow out of flying out the window on a whim. I MUST train Goten from doing that." She left, shaking her head over her over-zealous sons.

Gohan flew quickly and eagerly to his girlfriend's house. Within a few minutes, the lumbering mansion came into view. He made the quick detour to her bedroom window and knocked.

"Videl? You there?" He spoke in a soft voice, still loud enough to be heard by any occupants in the room. There was no answer. "Hey Videl?" He searched for her ki and felt it was in the gym of the house. Knowing the window would be unlocked because there was no way to climb to it, he let himself in. _"Videl? I've come to talk to you. Are you in the gym?"_ He reached out to her with his telepathic powers he had trained so hard to hone.

_"Yes. Come meet me here. This had better be good, Gohan._" Gohan gulped at her snippy answer. The temper of Videl Satan could be an impressive thing to behold. He knew he would have to do the closest thing to groveling without losing dignity to win her over after hurting her feelings.

Within a couple minutes, Gohan made his way into the well-equipped training and fitness section of the house. Videl was busy in the weight section of the gym. An impressive 600 pounds was clutched in her hands. Her face had only the slightest perspiration running down it as she bench-pressed the weight that would give most any human trouble.

"Wow. You've improved utilizing ki for strength enhancement. Not only do you look physically stronger in your tone, but also your power level feels higher. I wonder why I never noticed?" She put the heavy weights down and wiped her sweat with a towel.

"Maybe, if you stopped worrying about me so much, you'd see how strong I'm capable of becoming. I'm not just stronger." Her image faded out and he felt her presence behind him. He turned around in shock to see Videl's smug face staring into his astonished one.

"You learned the after-image technique? It takes a good control of energy to stop just fast enough to leave an image behind. You really have gotten better..."

"Hmmph. Coming from you, that means something. Why are you here though?" Her smug grin was now replaced with a frustrated and slightly irritated frown. Her eyes were practically boring holes into him.

"Oh, about that, well...I came to admit I was wrong."

"Oh? So that's it? I was wrong. I was being stupid. I thought about it. Please forgive me? Do you really think you can just treat this like every other thing you sweep under the rug?"

"No. I also want you to know, that I'm going to put more trust in you. You were right. I can't care a lot about someone without trusting them and I do care about you a lot. You mean a lot to me, and I wouldn't be treating you fairly if I didn't trust you." Videl looked at him thoughtfully.

"How long did you plan that one out?" He could see her defenses falling down at his apology and confession. Suddenly, something in him snapped. Maybe it was his Saiyan side, but he wasn't going to be pushed around TOO much in this relationship.

"Are you going to accept the training or not? I could always just leave you behind if you want." A playfully challenging tone appeared in his voice. A smirk that would have made Vegeta proud was the icing on top of the cake. Videl was taken aback by his uncharacteristic boldness for only a moment.

"Who says I need your stupid training anyway, jerk?" She tried desperately not to look amused by the whole thing and put on her best pissed faced.

"I say you do. Unless you'd like to be left farther behind by me and everyone else?"

"I can do what I want to do. I don't have to train in the stupid room if I don't want to. I'll get perfectly strong enough on my own."

"Your loss. Don't say I didn't offer the chance."

"Psh, whatcha gonna do if I decline anyway?" Gohan's smirk grew dangerous.

"How much can you handle?"

"Do your worst." Her challenge came out in a low voice. Her eyes widened in surprise as his lips met her own. They had kissed before, but they were always more affectionate and sweet kisses rather than a wild make-out session. This kiss was definitely fierier than anything she had previously experienced with him. She was lulled into the spell and kissed him back, her arms snaking around his neck. Then as quickly as it happened, he pulled away. He had stolen the words right from her mouth and she could only look at him in a dumbfounded fashion.

"Well? Do you surrender?"

"I think I might have to surrender after such...aggressive persuasion. You might want to keep one of those handy in case I act up though."

"Oh, you mean like this?" There lips met once more, and she was ready for it this time. Her tongue soon begged for entry, which he was all too happy to oblige. Then once again, after what seemed like an eternity which was only less than a minute; they broke apart seemingly as quickly as they had begun. The lip-locking excursion had left them panting for breathe.

"Fine, you win."

"Wow, that was easy." She smacked him over the head.

"Don't get too cocky! You're lucky I didn't pound you for stealing a kiss while I was angry." She gave him a stern look, but it soon melted away into a more mischievous smirk. "Good thing for you that your lips can persuade in more ways than talking. You've been holding out on me." Gohan could only blush and defaulted to his trademark neck scratching posture.

"Well, um, we can start on Saturday. It's only going to feel like a day outside and the weekend is the perfect disguise for it."

"Always to the point, huh? You're no fun. Okay. I can't wait!"

"Okay! Bye Videl! I'll see you tomorrow." He gave her quick huh and peck on the lips then turned to leave.

"Wait, there's something else." He stopped and turned to get a weak ki blast to the face. The shock knocked him over more than the actual power. The explosion wasn't enough to wake up Hercule or the butler on the other sides of the house.

"Why the freak did you shoot me! Wait...HOW did you shoot me?" Gohan dusted himself and had his head angled to the side in confusion.

"First of all, that was for being stupid in the first place. Second, I've been practicing. Bye-bye now!" She left the gym, leaving him with a goofy grin on his face.

"I'm so going to kick Neeros back to hell and marry that girl some day." Gohan made his way to an unlocked window and flew back home. He left the mansion just in time to make good on his promise to his mother.

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Sorry for the lapse in updates. I'm busy and writers block comes hard and heavily. I know there is a bit of ooc going on. I felt like this was more realistic maturing and development on the parts of the characters. Also, I'm trying to write longer chapters. This chapter was a couple pages longer than usual and that's how I like it. It's easier to just write longer chapters instead of cramming things together. Also, I know this chapter was mostly interaction and character development. I'm sorry, but all action can kind of dry and this was a series that always needed more character development. Please be patient. As for my reviewers...I appreciate the encouragement. Don't be too kind though. All the positive comments might make my head swell. Peace!


	11. Chapter 11

I don't know why I failed to notice or address this for so long, but I haven't been putting a disclaimer in my story. I don't think any of you care and all of you realize I don't own this, but it's a quibble that is unnecessary so...

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing mentioned in this story.

Chapter 11: Doldrums and Hellish Memories

It seemed like the expansive training zone on Grand Kai's planet daily turned into a post-apocalypse war zone. Every evening, when all the fighters retired from a hard day of intensive training and sparring, the planet would be filled with ruined landscape. A panorama of splintered trees, craters of varying size, shattered boulders, and torn patches of earth stretched as far as the eye could see. Then, by some miracle, all the battle damaged that had plagued the land only a night before would vanish.

No one except the Grand Kai and his superiors knew why this was so. Some say it was because of a special blessing or enchantment, cast over the land because this planet was really meant for rigorous training. Others say it was the work of the Grand Kai and some helpers that magically patched up the damage, seeing as they were very capable of doing this. Frankly, no one actually cared that much as to why it happened. Honestly, if anyone had experienced half of what any of these fighters from the four corners of the universe had experienced, they would understand. When you experience a lifetime of powerful megalomaniacs and tyrants trying to take over or destroy whichever planet you are residing on, and then turn up in Other World when you die to be trained by the overseers of the universe, something like this really seems small in comparison.

It was indeed a normal day in Other World as all the fighters were starting their day. Some partook of breakfast, purely for pleasure and for the comfort of the memories of a past life. Others, realizing that a dead man doesn't need food, got right to training. Goku was definitely one of the former rather than the latter. As a Saiyan, you never really lose your gargantuan appetite, and Goku was no exception. No day would be complete without rigorous, intense, torturous training, and three square meals a day. Nope. Not for the Saiyan in their ranks.

"Hurry it up! Is it really necessary to eat so much food? Your body doesn't even NEED food anymore! I swear Goku, your damnable appetite really tests my patience at times." Goku mercifully swallowed before answering.

"Aww, cool it Pikkon! Why don't you warm up with Olibu for a few minutes? He's almost as strong as you with your gear on."

"Bah, you know I'm going to need all my strength for you when we spar. I'm the ONLY one here that can even make you sweat. You could still wipe the floor with me if you really powered up."

"Aye gno wer the bwesh mash for eegth utherg, bwah u neegth to chaallungth yer shragegishing."

"Swallow your food, man! Are ALL you Saiyans so uncivilized?"

"Sorry Pikkon. I was saying that I know we are best paired up with each other as sparring partners, but you need to challenge your strategizing skills more. We'll grow accustomed to each other's styles if we only spar with each other."

"Hmmm, I suppose you're right. I'll warm up with Olibu for a bit then."

"Sure, take your time. I'll find someone else to spar with and just stay powered down." The Saiyan was now wiping the residue from his face and assessing the dirty dishes before him. Pikkon nodded and flew off to seek Olibu as a sparring partner. "Whew! That was a good start to my day. Now I guess I should get limbered up and find that new guy that West Kai was talking about. He looked like he had some tricky moves on him and his ki felt pretty high."

Shin was busing overseeing the trainees and he flew from sight to sight, providing encouragement and constructive criticism to the many faces. As he settled into his usual thinking spot, his face barely hid the grim thoughts contained in his head. Kibito, his subordinate, was hardly fooled by his master's charade. It was actually pretty obvious when something was weighing heavily on Shin's mind. He always had a kind spirit about him, but a lingering seriousness never left his countenance. If it was even possible, his most grim expression became twice as serious when he was troubled. This was such an occasion.

"What bothers you, Lord Kai?"

"Ah, Kibito, the vexation of my transparency has yet again revealed my thoughts yet again. I am simply concerned about the training. At this rate, the best fighters we can single out for the training of my ancient ancestors is only Goku, Pikkon, and Olibu. One or two of the other fighters might surprise me in the latter part of the year, but I have my doubts. Something else that bothers me is that the actual effectiveness of the training depends on the individual. Everyone will naturally receive power according to they're own potential and there is never any consistent power up. The probability of a dramatic enough improvement to ensure victory is slim. I realize that we have more capable fighters on Earth to choose from, but our chances don't look so great with or without the inclusion of them. Gohan and Vegeta are probably around the same general level as Goku, give or take a small power level difference, so Goku, Gohan, Vegeta, and Pikkon are our best options. Still, I fear it might not be enough."

"But Master Shin, they are among the most powerful fighters in the universe. Few have ever reached a power level or prowess in combat as advanced as them. They even outmatch you, as improbable as that seems. There must be hope in them, plus the many fighters we have at our disposal as well." Shin could only chuckle at Kibito's words, partly at the high opinion of his superior's power he conveyed and also because of the seemingly uneducated optimism.

"I appreciate the high regard you have for me and the fighters I choose, but you are not fully aware of the magnitude of Neeros' power. You may have been able to sense his power from the galaxy you were tending to, but I was mere feet from him when he unleashed every ounce of it. It was unbelievable at such proximity. I will never forget that day." His face become distant as the memories came rushing back like a fresh nightmare to plague him.

_"You monster! I never thought I would ever call my own blood such a thing, but that is all I can think of to describe how you are acting." Shin looked upon the ruined bodies of his comrades littering the whole area. There had been no mercy spared upon a single victim of Neeros' wrath. _

_The dismembered bodies and puddles of various colored bloods merging into one ugly hue was the testament of his sheer power and ruthlessness. These bodies hadn't belonged to mere run of the mill soldiers, but to fighters capable of taking out an entire planet in one shot. Neeros simply stood in the self-proclaimed glory of his moment of triumph. Every single person who had dared to challenge, doubt, or ridicule him lay torn at his feet. He reveled in the authority his power gave him and the bloody testimony of all who defied him. Now all that was left was to lick the freshly spilled blood from his fingers. The sweet taste of there forced submission only fueled his ecstasy. He simply WAS a god and there would be no arguing about it. Those who dared to would face this same fate._

_"Monster? You wound me, my brother. I thought you would be proud of your brother being assertive. The door doesn't open itself for those who don't knock. You remember those words that you always told me when we were younger? I am simply putting them into practice." His voice was hard and condescending. There wasn't a single shred of compassion left in it. The revelation hit Shin like the force of a sack of bricks and he shuddered. "Ha! Look at you! You are so pathetic in your dogmatic thinking and your pitiable regard for life. You said you had come here to save me, but it is I who will do the saving. I will save you and all of creation from your delusions and create a world built in my image and my own ideals. I only spared your life because you are my brother. Why can't you understand me? You were always the only one who did understand me, and here we are now. You are betraying me like everyone else."_

_"You are the one who is deluded! No one did anything to you to deserve such a hand of retribution. You have lived in your own world of insecurities and paranoia for so long that it has become reality to you. The only one betraying you is yourself."_

_"Silence! Do not talk down to me like I am a fool! You'd best turn your head from me if you cannot stomach my new regime. Unless, you'd rather not see me at all and would like the same escape I provided for those traitors?" A wicked smile darkened Neeros' features. "Well my brother? What shall it be? It's just you and me and it's your turn to pick the game we play." Shin slowly looked at Neeros with a mixture of disbelief, pain, contempt, and fear._

_"You. Are. Not. My. Brother." His fist clenched as he spoke, drawing blood. Neeros simply grinned in amusement and insane glee._

_"So be it. I'll make it quick. You are family after all." He extended his hand and it glowed a soft yellow. It should have been a comforting glow, but it only meant death to those who looked upon it. "Say goodnight. I'll remember the good times, though they were few."_

Shin was broken from his reminiscing as a hand touched his shoulder. He turned to see it belonged to Kibito.

"You had spaced out Master. I think it is time to meet the Grand Kai in the war room. We have to discuss the new developments with the others."

"Very well. Let us join them." He took flight with Kibito in tow right behind him.

"Master." Shin turned his head to acknowledge his subordinate.

"Yes, Kibito?"

"There was nothing you could have done. Your brother became what he became of his own accord. Only he can be held responsible for his choices." Shin faced ahead of himself to hide his face. A single tear was shed from his eye and then no more.

"Thank you, Kibito." The remaining minutes of the flight was spent in silence.

"Hey Trunks! Whatcha wanna do?" A hyperactive Goten chased after the stoic son of Vegeta.

"Well, if you calm down, I say we watch a movie. We've been under scrutiny for so long, it would be a good idea to lay low for while. That last prank was too close for comfort."

"Yeah! I agree! There's just one thing. What does scrutiny mean?" Trunks face-palmed at his friend's average intellect. It actually wasn't so much that Goten was slow. He just wasn't as focused as Gohan was and therefore excelled at the typical rate of a seven year old. Trunks, on the other hand, was already a few years ahead of Goten although he attended public school for social interaction. His being born into a highly intelligent family and the constant influence of them just left it inevitable that something would rub off on him.

"It basically means that we are being watched very closely and inspected. They're suspicious of us pulling that last prank."

"Oh, okay. Let's watch a movie then. Whatcha got in mind?" Trunks was already busy pulling a dvd from the shelf.

"This one is good. It has lots of action and cool scenes." He was pulling it from the case and popping into the dvd player as he said this.

"Cool. I've never seen it before."

"You'll probably like it. It's pretty exciting."

"If you say so." At that moment, Bulma popped in to check on them.

"Well, what have we here? Are you two going to actually settle down for once? A movie huh? Just don't watch it too loudly, okay?"

"Yes Mom."

"Okay, Ms. Bulma."

"Oh, just Bulma will do, Goten. I know that's probably improper, but it makes me feel so old. You two be good now." She smiled as she left them.

"Okay." The two boys answered in unison. Suddenly, her head popped back into view. A concerned and inquisitive look painted her face.

"I hope that movie is appropriate for children of your age."

"Don't worry mom. It just has action scenes and some fighting. There's nothing...dirty in it."

"Okay, but I can watch you at any time on camera. You better be telling the truth. There are some things you don't need to see yet, even if your dad let's you watch R-rated movies with him." She gave him the squinty eye that only a disciplining mother could do.

"Yes mom." Trunks was eyeing her with an annoyed look that clearly said 'get out of my hair, mom'.

"Alright. You told me it was okay so if it's not, you'll be in trouble for not just watching it, but showing it to Goten." She left it at that and left the two boys to watch the movie in solitude.

"So Trunks, do you think big brother will be done when this is through?" The opening credits were starting to play, and some scenery appeared with the changing names on the screen.

"I don't know. Maybe. It was you guys' usual shopping and visiting day, but it looked like Dad wanted to talk to him about something and spar. It could take a while, but wait! It's starting!" The two boys sat in silence as the images on the screen held them captive.

It was a raging inferno in the GR as Vegeta and Gohan traded blows. The high concentration of energy caused sparks to fill the air and raised the temperature of the room. Several smoking spots remained as testament to the many deflected ki blasts that the wall had absorbed.

"I don't know how you did it so quickly, but you've bumped it up a notch since we've last met. I haven't had this much of a workout in a long while." He blocked several punches from Gohan before throwing a kick that was nimbly caught by Gohan. He threw the Saiyan prince in hopes of crashing him into the wall, only to have him quickly reorient himself in time to land on his feet.

"Coming from you, I'll take that as a compliment." A mocking smirk painted his features as he waited for Vegeta's next move.

"Don't get too cocky, brat. I haven't been relaxing while you've been gone." He launched back at Gohan with renewed vigor and speed, taking the younger Saiyan by surprise.

_"Fast!"_ Gohan barely had time to register the charge and barely managed to bring his arms up in defense. Vegeta peppered Gohan with a barrage of lightening quick punches. His normal style of brutal and fast strikes was showing as Gohan fended off straightforward jabs and palm strikes. Unpolished though it was, it effectively kept Gohan on the defensive. _"He's as unrelenting as usual, but such a full frontal assault will always betray one's defenses in the long run."_

"Well, are you going to do anything or just dance around the room? Where did all that aggressiveness from earlier?" Gohan's eyes narrowed as he zeroed in on Vegeta's fist winding back.

_"There."_ Instead of blocking the powerful punch more akin to a brawler than a martial artist, Gohan easily sidestepped it. Not giving him time to register his mistake, Gohan drove an open palm into the Saiyan prince's chin. As the force of the blow knocked Vegeta's head back and left him dazed, Gohan commenced his own full barrage into his exposed defenses. He sent a punch into his unprotected stomach then another into his face as he hunched over from the blow. Not one to let up after a few hits, Gohan unleashed more fast strikes into Vegeta's stomach before knocking him across the room with a roundhouse kick to the head. Vegeta kicked off the wall before crashing into it and launched himself like a bullet at Gohan.

"You hit like a girl! I thought you said you had improved! You're a waste of my time!" Gohan was locked into another defensive position as Vegeta began to more strategically launch his blows. It may not be his general style to fight with finesse, but he could muster it when the occasion called for it. More and more blows were slipping through Gohan's defenses as Vegeta fooled him with feints thrown in when least expected. Gohan quickly dodged a faux punch, only to be hit by a kick that had been waiting for just such an error. As Gohan was sent flying by the kick, Vegeta charged towards him, intending to follow up his attack. He never finished it as Gohan launched a ki blast he had been hiding. Being knocked away simply a ruse to buy him time to gather energy. Not giving time for him to recover, Gohan phased in next to Vegeta and hammered both fists into him, the blow sending him crashing into the floor.

"I stand corrected." Vegeta managed to grunt out his retort as he painfully rose from his beating. Although it looked like Vegeta had been severely wailed on, both he and Gohan were still only goofing around. The blows would only mean a few minor bruises with no major aches or pains. After brushing himself off, he assessed Gohan for a few moments before a smirk filled his face. Gohan knew that Vegeta would never outright smile at him, but when his eyes shined the way there now while he smirked, it only meant he was pleased. It was probably the closest thing to affection that Vegeta could muster.

"What? Are you having that much fun?" Gohan allowed a smirk of his own to grace his features.

"It's good to see your Saiyan fire has returned. We are still relatively equal in strength, but you fight with much more enthusiasm than the pitiful effort you mustered last time. May I ask what rekindled it?"

"Well, I tried to look back and realize why I trained only just to do it. I realized that a long time ago, I started fearing that the responsibility of others safety was solely up to me. I was afraid that if I couldn't do everything by myself, that I would let people die like I have before. I only wanted to keep them shielded behind a wall while I took all the blows and kept any threat away. I began to train just to train. The mentality I had was 'training makes one stronger so I need to train, then train some more'. I had lost any real goal to achieve and there was no pride in my work. I simply did it because if that's what I need to do, then I just have do it." Gohan took a breath just to gather his thoughts.

"Then I realized that I had lost all my goals and needed to make new ones. I trained out of fear and not because it was important that I get better and push my limits. I lost the drive from taking pride in protecting my ideals and ensuring a future where I could prove myself. It was actually Videl that made me wake up. She can be pretty persuasive when she needs to be."

"So let me get this straight." Vegeta took a moment to find his words but couldn't hold back an amused grin. "After everything you said, the bottom line is your mate inspired you? That's rich!" Vegeta let out a deep belly laugh at the prospect of a woman kicking Gohan in the right direction.

"Hey!" Gohan had turned a deep red after his submission to Videl became the target of Vegeta's amusement. "If you had a girlfriend that could zanzoken behind you, leave an after-image, then top it off with a ki blast to your face, you tell me she wouldn't get what she wants!" At this Vegeta looked up in shock then laughed even harder, his deep bellow of a laugh filled the room.

"So she forced you to see the error of your ways? It's too much! The son of my greatest rival is whipped into shape by a woman!" Vegeta had started to calm down, but tears of laughter glistened in his eyes as his chuckles subsided into small snickers. "Such a woman is a worthy mate for a Saiyan. You have chosen well brat."

"Yeah, I guess. A woman that could kick my butt is pretty sexy."

"Spoken like a true Saiyan. Now what do you say we continue? There's no way I'm going to lose to the son of Kakarrot." Vegeta quickly transformed into a Super Saiyan.

"I'll think I'll take you up on that challenge." Gohan also powered up then lowered into a stance. The two titans clashed as another intense round ensued.

Meanwhile, fun of a different kind was taking place in the living room of the Briefs establishment. It was the kind that only two mothers with active Saiyan kids and a lot of catching up to do participated in.

"I swear! It's a wonder I haven't had any trouble with Goten flying out the window in the middle of a conversation. Gohan is STILL doing it even though I've scolded him about ever since he could fly, but Goten doesn't. He might jump out the window to play outside, but what else can you expect from a seven year old boy?"

"That's true, Chichi. A human seven-year-old boy would do that any day of the week, let alone someone whose half-Saiyan. That's too funny though. As much of a fine, intelligent young man Gohan is, his old habits are still hard to kick. You should count it a blessing that you struggle with a bit of childish behavior though. Trunks is our little resident prankster and his big headedness is second only to Vegeta."

"That's true. I suppose it could be worse."

The two women enjoyed their chat for another hour or so before Gohan and Vegeta emerged from the GR. Their ritualistic post-spar refreshment session was calling.

"How did it go, guys?" Bulma sipped on her tea as her sweaty mate passed her by.

"Hmmph. It was adequate, I suppose. His prince won't have to exile him for slacking off, this time."

"You're just sore because I was gaining the upper-hand towards the end."

"Silence! If you speak another word, I will take ALL of these sandwiches and drinks for myself."

"Ack! Fine." The Saiyan prince smirked at his small victory. The Son family may always best him in fighting, but he would always have the last word.

"Don't fill up on too much Gohan. Bulma has invited us to dinner while we are here." Gohan looked at her incredulous over a mouthful of sandwich. He washed it down with a chilled soft drink before answering.

"Is there even such a thing as a Saiyan filling up on too much?" Vegeta nodded his agreement as he took another bite out of his 'snack'.

"Now don't debate the little details with me. It's my job to remind you of things, even if you might know already. I wouldn't be a mother if I didn't."

"Yes mom." Gohan hung his head in defeat. Vegeta just snorted at the submission and Bulma hid a chuckle.

"Actually guys, I think we could use your help." Bulma spoke up after finishing the last drop in her cup. The two Saiyans turned in her direction at her words. "When you finish up with your snack, me and Chichi wouldn't mind if you lend a hand in setting the table and food preparation."

"Out of the question woman." Vegeta turned his nose up at the request for assistance. "It is beneath the prince of Saiyans to assist women in the kitchen." Bulma's eye twitched at her husband's insolence.

"I suppose it's beneath you to sleep in your own bed for a week? We can also forget our special on the weekends for a month. Maybe we'll really find out what's really beneath you if I refuse to fix the gravity room when it malfunctions?" Bulma stared down her prideful mate with her arms crossed. She had a smug look on her face, as she knew she had pushed all the right buttons.

"Bah! Fine woman! I will help you in your ridiculous kitchen 'work'."

"I see you have your mate well under control. What about you Gohan?" She laid her level gaze on Gohan and her silent glance spoke volumes.

"Sure thing, mom." He obediently went to the cabinet with plates and glasses, preparing to set the table without hesitation. There was no need to complain. A very dented, but never dying frying pan would be the only answer for his grumbling. Vegeta rolled his eyes yet again.

"Ridiculous. Two of the most powerful beings in the universe, reduced to household aid under the compliance of women. The universe is ending." The irony of the statement hit him as soon as it left his mouth and the whole room became solemn. Though it seemed like drudgery right now, moments like these may well be in short supply. He would have to remember to enjoy the time that could be vastly running out. Frieza's long and brutal hold over him had taken the ability to enjoy life away. He didn't want to lose it, now that it seemed to finally be back. His anxiety had the memories rushing back to him as it was only yesterday.

_The backhanded slap that Frieza had dealt Vegeta may have been a puny blow in the scheme of things, but a slap from an extremely powerful being was simply brutal to a child. A young Vegeta held his tongue as he rose from the floor. The slap may have hurt like hell and have been a blow to his pride, but he would not lash back or retort. Frieza would simply put him back in his place, whether through more physical abuse or a psychological attack._

_"Do you understand why I hit you, Vegeta?" The question was left to hang in the air as Vegeta wondered how to respond. "There is no shame in not knowing why. I probably would not know why if I were in your position." The statement seemed sympathetic, but the smirk on Frieza's face held anything but sympathy. The amused sneer held nothing but contempt for the young Saiyan._

_"I don't know why, Lord Frieza." Frieza chuckled before a sinister glint flashed in his eyes._

_"The answer is quite simple. You do not know your place, so before you develop pre-conceived notions of who you are, I am educating you right now. As long as you serve me and live under my captivity, you are nothing. When you go on a mission, you go to further my will and not for your own personal enjoyment. When you sleep, it is to strengthen your body to be used as my tool. When you eat, it is only to nourish your body so that you will have the strength to serve me. When you take in the education that your tutors provide for you, it is not for your opportunity. It is so that you are more useful to me. You enjoyed that last mission too much, so I am putting you in your place before there is any lasting damage." Even at that young age, Vegeta could muster a formidable stoicism, but the future that Frieza had lain out for him hurt too much to remain emotionless. He flinched ever so slightly._

_"It is not my intention to sound impertinent, Lord Frieza, but am I not to enjoy the one thing that wasn't taken from me? Is the thrill of a good fight to mean nothing to me?" Frieza turned back to face the young prince and Vegeta prepared himself for another blow._

_"Do not misunderstand me. I find nothing wrong that a savage, flea-bitten monkey like you doesn't enjoy beating the stuffing out of an opponent." Vegeta said nothing, but his fists clenched and his tail movement became more agitated. "Just never forget where it comes from. I have taken you in, but you belong to me. Everything about you is at my disposal, mind, body, and soul. I can throw you away, with all the other trash if I wanted."_

_"Is there nothing at all that will please you then!" Vegeta's emotions soared as he was belittled. He didn't care much for the admiration of the lizard-man, but it was the only admiration he could get._

_"Only that you expect nothing and do your part as a soldier and tool. What love you were meant to receive died with your father and your race. But, perhaps you can find some companionship in your caretaker and your lower-class subordinate? Dense though they are, they are monkeys just like you. HA!" He left Vegeta to stew as he laughed at his own humor. Vegeta was tempted to nail the back of Frieza's head with a ki blast as he retired to his chambers. He knew he would probably be severely beaten or even executed, so he wisely chose not to attack him._

_"One day Frieza." It was barely above a whisper and he turned to walk a few paces before he continued. "You will die at the hands of a Saiyan, and I will be free."_

He was broken from his recollections as Bulma asked him to find an ingredient Chichi needed. No one had even noticed he had been lost in thought and chocked up his expression to just his normal grouchiness. He handed his wife the seasoning without a word and departed to the library. He would probably catch hell for it later, but he helped for a few minutes and Gohan could cover for him. A deep sigh escaped his lips as he allowed himself to be brought back to the past.

_"Would you be proud of me, my father? Do I dishonor you and our race with my peaceful life on Earth?" _Vegeta knew the answer would be no. There was no honor in despairing for the rest of your life over things lost. He just couldn't shake the insecurities that his hard life had given him. The weight of responsibilities that being royalty gives was something his father was constantly preparing him for, but once his race and home was destroyed, there was really nothing left to live for and he was plagued with the dishonor of serving his father's murderer.

Over the years of serving under a cruel tyrant, he found his worth in superiority and the future death of Frieza at his hands. Although Saiyans never falter from killing if needed, Vegeta's bloodlust became something akin to the savage days when Saiyans lived as unsophisticated brutes. Ruthlessness in combat was the key to survival, but it was taken to the nth' degree. In some small way, killing had become a release and outlet for the abused Saiyan prince.

Then Kakarrot had to come along. He shook Vegeta's world to the very foundations. Where was the killer bloodlust and savagery of a hardened Saiyan? Where was the fear of weakness and the drive to be superior? What made him strong enough to decimate the world ten times over and be gentle enough to hate hurting a fly? Yes, it was true that a lot of his ideals were shaped by living on earth, but what enraged Vegeta was that he knew that Kakarrot's more honorable twist on the Saiyan love of fighting was right. If he was honest with himself, his desire to get stronger was purely bred from a sense of vengeance, first reserved for Frieza and then for all else who crossed him. Then his desire to defeat Kakarrot and outdo him replaced his thirst for vengeance. It wasn't until he had a family of his own, that he realized that all his ideals were wrong.

_"To think that idiot was right all along. I wasted so much time only desiring to destroy and to take life, but I was so much weaker in every way. If I had only known that I could be as strong as I am now if I had let go of my hate, I wonder where I could be now? Well, there's no use wondering about the past. I won't let this go to waste."_

"Trunks! Goten! Time for dinner!" Bulma peaked into the room to see that the credits were just starting to roll. "Well, it looks like that movie was just long enough. You guys ready?"

"Are you kidding mom? I'm starving!"

"Yeah! Me too!"

"Spoken like a true son of a Saiyan. Well, get washed up and come to the table!"

"Okay!" They answered in unison.

It had been a long day, but it had to end. They all said their goodbyes and the Sons left for home. Gohan sat on his bed and let out a deep breath. It was amazing how even when one has the stamina to run around the world twice, an afternoon out shopping and visiting friends could be tiring. He blamed in the fact that his family and friends were nothing close to normal. Still, tomorrow was a big day! He would be spending a year inside The Room of Spirit and Time once again. He had to be rested for the challenge of training hard and making sure Videl didn't kill herself. It was a good thing the day didn't end any later than it did!

"Night Gohan!" Goten was crawling into bed and turning out the lamp beside him.

"Night squirt. I'm going to be gone for a whole day for training, so be good and take care of mom. Think you can handle it?"

"You bet! Mom won't even know you're gone, because I'm gonna be helping so much!" Goten gave Gohan an enthused grin that only little children knew how to do. His cuteness made Gohan laugh.

"Sure thing bro. Now let's get some rest." He turned to switch his lamp off and settled comfortably into his covers. An invigorating nights rest was soon to engulf him.

"Just one question before we sleep."

"Sure kiddo."

"Trunks told me it wasn't necessarily a bad word if used historically." Red flags waved themselves in front of Gohan's face and he sat up.

"What word?" He feared what was going to happen and hoped Dende was watching him. Unfortunately, the teen Namekian WAS watching him. With amusement, that is.

"What does bastard mean?" All time seemed to stop as Gohan processed what was happening at this very moment.

_"Bastard? Bastard? My seven year old brother knows the word, BASTARD! How am I going to explain that to mom!"_

"Gohan? What's wrong?"

"Oh, uh, it means someone born before their parents got married. No, it's not bad if you don't use it as an insult. No, you can't use anyway, because people think of it as an insult and will get offended. No, you can't say it in front of mom because she will kill you, kill me, and then I'll kill you. Does that answer all your questions?" Goten tilted his head to the side in what would have been an adorable display of contemplation, if the situation wasn't so awkward.

"Yeah. I'm good now. Night Gohan!"

"Night squirt." Gohan muttered as he settled back in his bed. _"So much for sleep. I'm going to have nightmares after this."_ Sleep did indeed overtake Gohan, and he did indeed have nightmares of Chichi killing him for not protecting Goten's ears more thoroughly.

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Authors Note: Well, this update was a little sooner (haha). If some of you have a problem with the mild quality of Vegeta's prickly nature, keep in mind that Vegeta has come to terms with his demons sooner than in the series. It just works better for my story. So is he still going to be arrogant and sometimes too prideful? Yes. What would the headstrong prince be without those attributes? He is simply past that malicious streak he used to have. Thanks again to everyone who enjoys this.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing mentioned in this story.

Chapter 12: Training Day (Days)

A duo of raven-haired teens could be seen flying at fairly high altitude, if one were awake at the crack of dawn and were inclined to look directly above your head. The pair had been flying on route to The Lookout for the past half an hour. Much to Gohan's chagrin, it would take them twice the amount of time at the speed Videl could fly comfortably. They would be seeing clouds for another hour.

Gohan tried not to wobble or sway as he flew. True to his fears, sleep was torturously slow to come, and unmercifully short lived. There were too many anxieties in his mind to allow a restful sleep or for him to feel completely at peace with his decision. It was true, he had come to terms with what he was about to face and the difficulties he would face, but who said he had to feel good about it?

_"What if I'm not around when Videl needs me? What if she get's hurt? What if something goes wrong? What if Goten slips up and says that word in front of mom! Wait. Why of all things am I worrying about that? Bah!"_ Gohan shook the silly concerns from his mind. _"I guess I need more sleep than I thought. Oh well. When me and Videl are through with training for today, I'll easily sleep tonight."_ He rubbed his heavy eyelids; the rings from lack of sleep were very obvious.

Videl on the other-hand was very awake and alert. She was very eager to start her training, and had gone to sleep early in anticipation of all the training she would endure. Gohan's sluggish demeanor wasn't lost on her as she watched him. It had been obvious when he picked her up that he hadn't slept for very long.

"Wake up, sleepy head! You can't be dozing off while we train, if this room is as dangerous as you say it is. How many hours did you get anyway?"

"Oh, sorry Videl. I was so stressed out that I only got about two and a half hours of sleep last night. Don't worry though. I'll just focus on getting you acclimated to the room for today, so I can rest."

"Hmmm. Okay, but you better be alert, mister! Just because I'm not afraid of what's inside, doesn't mean I'm arrogant enough to think I don't need you to keep an eye on me. What can I expect in this room anyway?"

"Well, the climate is constantly shifting. It could be swelteringly hot for days, then at the drop of a hat it could be freezing. When I say freezing, I mean you will see blocks of ice. It can really be dangerous when you get surrounded, because it takes a ki blast to effectively clear your way out. Not only is the climate crazy, but also the gravity is greater the farther you travel. It could be not even double that of our own gravity on Earth, then steadily grew to about five times our gravity after a short distance. The increase is indefinite because it is only grows as intense as you go farther in. You could possibly train at a gravity of about 1,000gs."

"Wow! That's insane! And we're going to be in there for a whole year?"

"Yep. This is going to be my second time in the room. I hope I make it count because I only have about fifteen total months left that I am allowed to spend in there. After I spend the day in there with you, I will only have three months left. You haven't been in at all, so you have two years of training available for you."

"This is incredible! I never thought things this crazy existed until I met you! The room sounds tough though."

"It is pretty harsh, but among those other things, you can expect to grow a lot stronger by tomorrow. A year of fending off hellish elements and living in higher gravity than that of earth, will accelerate you're growth a lot faster than just training for a year out here. Besides, I won't let anything happen to you." He looked at her warmly; the tiredness was far from his mind at this moment. She returned the smile.

"I know. You always keep your promises." Their hands interlaced and remained that way for the remainder of their journey.

"Mom! I don't want to study today! It's Saturday!"

"Now don't give me any of your whining, Goten! That's not how big boys behave when their mom asks them to do something." Chichi stood with her hands on her hips as she stared down at her complaining son.

"But the other kids my age don't have to do this! They get to play!"

"You are not going to grow up to be 'any other kid'! No son of mine has an excuse not to excel if they aren't dumb, and you aren't dumb! Besides, I only asked you to read a chapter ahead and complete those worksheets I laid out for you. You should be done in an hour."

"An hour is forever! I don't want to!"

"Fine then, you can go without dessert or sweets all day and have some persuasion from the frying pan. How does that sound?" An evil glint flashed in Chichi's eye. Gohan turned pale at the prospect of two horrible things such as these and was immediately cowed.

"I think studying sounds great mom. I would be glad to study and do those really cool worksheets. Love you, bye-bye!" He scampered to his desk immediately and pulled out the aforementioned book and a pencil. Chichi chuckled at her evilness and her son's immediate obedience following her threat.

"You can eat your breakfast first! I was only telling you to do that after breakfast." She covered her mouth to hide her amusement.

"Oh! Okay mom!" Goten left a trail of dust behind him as he made his way to the table. A cheesy smile shined rather brightly, as testament to Chichi's enforcing good dental hygiene.

_"Why are my children so insanely goofy? Now that I mention it, Goku was exactly the same. He was so goofy that it was endearing. How I miss him."_ She quickly joined Goten so she could fix him a plate or ten. Suddenly, the fading dust cloud came to her attention. _"And so much dust already? This just won't do. At least Goten will be out of my hair for a while. I'll have to take care of this right away."_

"You coming mom? I'm hungry!

"Now what did I tell you about being patient, Goten? I'm coming." She shook her head in exasperation. _"You owe me, Gohan." _So commenced a day in the life at the Son house. It would be a long day without the help of Gohan.

"Wow! Who would have thought there was this palace floating miles in the sky?" Videl took a few steps in no particular direction when they landed. She turned in all directions just get a good luck at her new surroundings.

"It's pretty impressive. I remember my awe when I first came here as well." He smiled at his girlfriend's enthusiasm as she took the sights of The Lookout in.

"Hello Gohan! It's good to see you!" Dende waved to his longtime friend as he and Mr. Popo came to greet them. "And you must be Videl." He turned to acknowledge her and extended his hand.

"I-uh, it's an honor sir." She bowed her head as she took his hand, unsure of how to fit in proper etiquette if Dende was being so casual.

"Please. Call me Dende. I may be the guardian of Earth, but I am no deity. I am given powers to watch over this world, but the status of deity is reserved to those over me. They however, reside in another dimension. I am getting ahead of myself though. Come this way!" He beckoned with a wave towards the main entrance. The group followed suit accordingly.

"If I may, uh, Dende." Videl fumbled with her words, as the prospect of talking to a green alien with antennae was still a little much for her. "How do you know my name then?" Dende chuckled at her curiosity.

"It does no good to be a guardian of a planet, if you can't keep proper tabs on its inhabitants. I am aware of the populous of Earth and of any noteworthy occurrences. The smaller details I am left without, but your pop culture magazines have been fairly fascinating, if not a bit overly-fabricated."

"Right." Videl didn't know whether to be impressed, amused, or both at the Namekian guardian. It was one thing for him to be aware of all the things worth knowing about on the planet, but the prospect of a guardian with mystical powers reading a celeb magazine was too much. Amusement nearly won as she stifled a giggle.

"It's okay. I find the idea of it humorous as well." Dende received a blank stare from Videl. "Oh yes. I also read minds. Sorry about that."

"No problem...aha." Videl turned pale from mortification then quickly took a red shade of embarrassment. Gohan finally let out a laugh. He had been apprehensive about first impressions, but he could tell things would be just fine (considering the circumstances).

"I'm sorry about this, Videl. I guess I should have prepared you a little better for this." He grinned sheepishly as he performed the signature Son neck scratch.

"No kidding. Thanks a lot." Her voice held a sarcastic ring to it. Dende let out a chuckle at this.

"She has an attitude Gohan. I like her." Dender eyed Gohan with teasing smirk.

"Thanks. So do I." He put his arm around her and gave Dende a smirk of his own. Videl could only blush at how awkward the situation was. It wasn't everyday that you met the guardian of Earth and toured a floating palace in the sky, all while joined at the hip with your boyfriend.

"I know you both are eager to commence your training, but would you like something to eat before you enter the time chamber?" Mr. Popo spoke for the first time. "A well-prepared meal will probably be the last luxury you enjoy for a year. After all, only the basics will be provided in The Room Of Spirit And Time."

"I think I will take you up on that offer, Mr. Popo. I don't know about you, Videl, but I could use a snack." He followed Mr. Popo to the lounge and dining room. Videl simply shook her head at Gohan's insatiable appetite.

"That boy. He's a stomach with legs." She stifled a giggle before following him. Videl Satan doesn't giggle after all.

"Come on! Then we can start training!"

"All right already!" She stormed after her childish and hungry boyfriend.

Thirty minutes and one 'snack' fixed by Mr. Popo later, they were finally ready to enter the chamber. Gohan stretched as he rose from the table. Five empty plates and the remnants of fruits that had been on the table told the silent tale of their dramatic end. Videl herself had only eaten a single apple.

"Well, that was good. Thanks Mr. Popo!"

"Think nothing of it Gohan." The dark skinned genie smiled hospitably at Gohan before leaving. "You know where the chamber is. I will be there to let you in when you are ready."

"Thanks again, Mr. Popo."

"So is the bottomless pit full?" Videl gave him a teasingly smug look.

"Hey! I can't train on an empty stomach! Breakfast was two hours ago!"

"Sure Gohan. Whatever. Let's just follow Mr. Popo and get this show on the road." He pouted as he led the way to the door.

Meanwhile, the prince of all Saiyans was busy punishing his body in 500gs. The heavy gravity bore down on his bruised and sweaty body like the force of a very mountain resting on him. Even still, he endured the punishment of training his body in such an extreme condition. To what end did he strive on like this? The answer was always the same: to attain strength, strength, and more strength. As long as there was breathe in his body, this would always be his sole reason for such heavy training.

An intense game of dodge and counter had just finished with the training bots, their ki absorbing attributes pushed to the limit for the time being. Vegeta was now locked in a set count of push-ups. As soon he reached five thousand push-ups, he would finish up with some shadow sparring and forms. Such was a typical training day the hardened prince of Saiyans. He had already spent an hour locked in his harsh routine of exercise and battle training and he still had more hours yet.

"Dad!" Trunks voice rang through the gravity room's intercom. His voice was followed by the repeated ping of a fist knocking on the metallic door.

"What it is it, Trunks?" Vegeta's ire was clearly present in his voice. Time was a precious commodity when one was trying to get strong enough to fend of intergalactic threats AND best the Son family's strongest fighters. Trunks recoiled from the hard tone of his father. He realized it was only because interrupted training was one of Vegeta's pet peeves, but it didn't make it any less intimidating,

"Mom wants to know if you'll be joining us for breakfast or if you want the food ready to warm?"

"Hmmph. I have no time to eat now. I'll eat lunch once I have finished. Run along now and don't keep her waiting."

"Yes, dad. Oh wait. I was also wondering if I could join you for a spar later?" Trunks couldn't help the hope that leaked through in his tone. Sparring was one of the few things that they did to bond together. Trunks truly loved his father and wanted all the time he could get with him.

"Out of the question. I have way too much to work on today."

"Okay dad." Trunks visibly wilted at the rejection. It seemed that all his father did was train and join them for dinner with not too many words shared, then train for a bit longer before bed. They hadn't spent more than a little over an hour with each other all week. Vegeta knew his son all too well to be oblivious to the sting he had caused him.

"Look Trunks. I'm busy today. We'll spar tomorrow, and I'll even take you to that blasted park if you do well and don't give your mom too much of a hard time. Sound good?" Trunks was immediately satiated at the offer.

"Yeah! Okay dad! I can't wait!"

"Good. Now run along. I have much to today and you've wasted precious time." Trunks gulped and quickly complied with the command.

_"It really is a nice change of pace, but I don't think I'll ever get used to having a family. I'm just not soft like Kakarrot. How ironic. He is a kinder man and was more comfortable at being a father and husband than me, yet I still remain for my family. It's almost humorous."_ That train of thought ended there as he continued his harsh training.

Meanwhile, Gohan and Videl had just settled into their new environment and were getting ready to train.

"Wow! I just can't get used to the size of this place! I wonder if it goes on forever?" Videl had couldn't help but gawk at her surrounding and placed a hand over her brow as she gazed into the distance.

"Actually, I think it does. I made it a mile out before I realized that I would get lost if I got any more adventurous. Although it's really hard to tell when all you can see is this white floor. Not to mention, the gravity is really heavy at that distance into the room."

"I guess I won't go too far into the room then." Videl shuddered at the thought of getting lost in an endless dimension of dark sky and white ground. Too much exposure to such solitude and consistent surroundings would make anyway go mad. Then there's the possibility of being crushed to death.

"Just stay in sight of the door and you'll be fine." Gohan chuckled, as she turned blue from apprehension.

"Duly noted. Now what's on the agenda today?"

"Well, I want to evaluate your full potential for today. I do intend for the both of us to train independently for most of the time, but I'll spend the first couple weeks pointing you in the right direction. But first, how is the gravity to you? It's not that heavy right now, but I want to know how you are coping so far."

"Well, it feels fine right now. It's a little heavier than what I'm used to, but I'm stronger than the average human anyway." Her eyes suddenly narrowed at him. "What? You think I'm THAT fragile, that a slight increase in gravity will harm me? It's LITTLE bit heavier and the temperature is as hot the devil's oven, but I'm just fine." Her hands were on her hips and she glared at him with enough intensity to burn a hole through a mountain.

"No! No!" Gohan waved his hands defensively and shrunk under her irritable gaze. "I just want to assess your current level. That seems about right for you, seeing as you are about twenty times stronger than the average human where you stand." His current statement shocked Videl and distracted her from her irritability towards him.

"Whoa! I'm twenty times stronger than a normal human? I always thought I was about two or three times stronger."

"Well, the thing is, you're going by physical strength. It's true that you are physically stronger than a human by about two or three times, but your power level feels about fifty times stronger. Once you learn how to fully control your ki to enhance yourself, you will be as strong as I have stated."

"Wow! I never knew that! I guess that explains why ki blasts came so easily after I learned to fly."

"Yep. You had a naturally large reserve of ki to begin with so flying was easier to learn than for the typical person. Once you learned how to control your ki to fly and to sense other power levels, it became easier to tap into those reserves. Practicing like you have with different ki based techniques has also improved your overall control and power."

"I see. So is that why you guys are so strong?"

"Well, it's kind of the reason, but not quite. You can gain great physical strength through the traditional way, and you can increase your speed by wearing weights while strength training. The thing is you can only go so far with physical training before you hit a wall. Although you can get strong enough to do amazing things through physics might alone, it doesn't compare to the strength unlocking your ki can give you. With my physical strength I can easily lift nearly a ton or reduce a boulder to rubble, but with my ki to draw power from I can lift several tons or easily crack a mountain. Then there's all the power I can gain by training my ki. To really get strong, you must have a balance of strength, speed, and energy training. Only then can your full potential be reached. That's enough for now though. We should get started."

"Right. I'll understand it more as I do it."

"Okay then. Let's start warm up then we'll start with making you even more adept at ki usage." The started off with a few stretches then did a light set of push-ups and sit-ups. Once they had warmed up properly, Gohan signaled for her to follow him to a spot a bit further from the shelter and kitchen.

"So now what?" Videl was eager to start.

"We'll work on ki blasts first. Go ahead and fire one."

"Right." Videl extended her hand and focused her energies. Soon, a small orb of ki formed in her palm. She concentrated for a few more seconds, increasing the size to that of a baseball. Once she had finished charging it to what she deemed a good size, she launched a few yards away. The resulting explosion was rather small burst of flame, reaching a blast radius of about three feet in diameter before fading into a plume of smoke.

"Okay, that was pretty good considering. You're only at about half potential though. Your current power should have produced an explosion equivalent to a potent grenade." Videl frowned slightly.

"What am I doing wrong then?"

"Your form is actually pretty good, but your control is a bit off. You seem to have too many internal distractions, so some of the ki is wasted before making it into your attack. Clear your mind of any distractions and let the ki in your palm be your sole focus."

"I'll try." Videl again extended her hand and focused on the energy that was accumulating. She blocked the thoughts that were previously in her head only thinking of putting more energy into her attack. The sphere of ki quickly grew from the size of a golf ball to about six inched wide. Knowing she was now finished charging up she released the attack. This time, the explosion bloomed into a fireball large enough to consume a small car. "Wow. That was intense." She looked down at her hand in wonder.

"Well, that was a lot better. Now the next step is too focus the potency of your ki without making the blast too large. Obviously, the blast will naturally grow in size, but it is possible to make the blast prematurely large. While this might look impressive, it is actually an uneconomical usage of your ki."

"Ugh, there's so much to take in. Okay then. How do I do it?"

"I'll just demonstrate. Watch this." Gohan extended his hand in much the same way and began charging his ki into a blast. "Notice how the ball isn't eager to grow in size? I'm concentrating on not letting the energy surge too rapidly and letting it flow in a controlled amount." The blast stopped growing once it reached the size of Videl's blast, but she could feel the power continue to grow.

"How are you doing that?"

"I'm concentrating on strengthening the blast, but also focusing on keeping the blast at this size. Tricky to get down at first, but it becomes second nature once it's committed to muscle memory." Gohan deemed the blast ready to launch. "Now observe." He lobbed the destructive sphere about two hundred yards away before it detonated on the floor. The resulting explosion was about fifty feet wide and one hundred feet high, the shockwave kicking up a breeze that flapped their clothing around and ruffled their hair.''

"Wow. All that power in something so small."

"Now that you've seen it and have a gist of the idea, work on that for a while. You should have enough ki left to keep you busy, so I'm going to train myself for a bit. I'll check up on you in a bit."

"Got it." They went their separate ways as Gohan prepared his physical training and Videl worked on forming blasts. An orb of energy formed in her palm as she tried to apply Gohan's teachings to her technique.

"So dedicated. I can't wait to see how much this room helps her out. With that in mind, it's time I focus on MY training." He flew into the heavier gravity of the room and prepared to literally punish himself.

"There he goes." Videl had launched her attack and gotten mostly the same result. "I'll bet I can shoot one that strong twice as fast by the time he get's back." She worked with a goal in mind for the next many hours of the 'day'.

Meanwhile, a familiar Saiyan was hunched over in great concentration. Goku's aura flared and kicked up dust clouds for several yards around him. This was it. A great river was raging behind a dam, and that dam was about to break. Suddenly, a great flash of golden light lit up the area for miles. His piercing cry was the only other discernable sound over the thunderous boom and echo of his sudden release of ki. When the light faded and the dust settled down, his form had greatly changed. He had noticeably increased in muscle tone and definition. They looked slightly bigger and more powerful. His eyebrows and bangs had disappeared, leaving his forehead's increased protrusion all the more noticeable. His hair had grown down to the back of his knees, favoring the style of his older brother greatly except for the single spike hanging down his forehead. Finally, Goku relaxed.

"Good heavens. What manner of transformation is this?" Kibito was baffled as he marveled at the gargantuan increase of power.

"It would appear my pupil has unlocked the third level of Super Saiyan. I wonder just how far the evolution of this transformation goes." King Kai looked at Goku with a mixture of pride over his student's accomplishment and awe at how he never seemed to hit a wall in his progression."

"This is an unexpected yet welcome development. Any great increase of power in any fighter brings us that much closer to finding the one or ones whom will stop Neeros." Shin observed with a guarded optimism. As long as Neeros remained as powerful as he is things would never look entirely hopeful, but Goku's accomplishment would increase morale and encourage other strong fighters to push themselves to greater heights."

"I've actually had this one up my sleeve for a few months, but I lacked the control to transform without hurting myself." Goku walked over to the observing Kais. "It's highly taxing on my ki though. I need to gain control of this form and reduce the ki drain."

"Indeed, Goku. You cannot hope to defeat a foe without the endurance to maintain the power necessary to accomplish it. I have faith in you though. You and all your Saiyan friends and family show much potential for our special training." With a wave, Shin and Kibito flew off to observe the other fighters.

"Well, you heard him! You better get to it!"

"Right! I'm on it King Kai. Then after this, can we have lunch?" The North Kai slapped his forehead at the prospect of feeding the Saiyan race's greatest appetite.

"Sure Goku. Sure. I'll go tell the cooks to be ready." His master left Goku to bring tidings of great despair and sorrow to the kitchen. _"You'd have thought we would escape this after he died. He's just as bad if not worse then when he was alive! Come to think of it, he was like this the first time we met. Boy, that's been a while back. Time sure flies."_

Days passed then weeks passed in the time chamber. The same routine would happen nearly like clockwork. Upon waking up, the teens would prepare themselves breakfast then warm up after they ate. When they were ready to begin for the day, Gohan would help Videl with her ki control then go deep into the room to train at high gravity. After spending many hours training separately they would meet for lunch before continuing for more hours. Then they would rap up with a sparring session. As monotonous as this routine seemed, it was paying off. A couple months of training had easily brought Videl to thirty times her previous strength. She and Gohan also spent time working on many techniques and improving their skills and not just strength.

Gohan sat down wearily with a water jug. He noticed almost immediately, the hungry look his girlfriend was sending his way as he drank from the large bottle. Not wanting to incur her wrath, he handed the jug to her.

"Thanks." She simply said after a long drink from the jug. She placed it by the sink to refill later. "So what do you want for dinner?"

"Oh, well I thought I would just grill some meat and veggies like we've been doing lately." This earned a scolding look from Videl.

"Look Gohan. We've had the same grilled food for a week now. Besides, you always cook. You might have tunnel vision as far as training, eating, and sleeping goes, but it's nice to eat different stuff on occasion. Why don't you let me cook tonight?"

"Alright. I only cook to try and give you a break. I know the first time dealing with the gravity and climate in this room can be tough so I thought it would be a nice gesture." Videl's expression softened at his words.

"That's sweet of you, but don't worry about it. You go ahead and get cleaned up and I'll take care of things." She waved him off to the bathroom, smiling as he bumbled off to wash himself. "Now let's see what's inside this endless fridge." She assessed the selection of the daily regenerating food supply.

_"I still don't get her. Usually she would be offended that I'm taking so much initiative for her at my own expense. She would feel like I think she's weak. Then again, what woman doesn't like a man to want cook for her?"_ He laughed to himself as he started the shower.

Gohan arrived to find Videl putting the finishing touches up on their meal. He was shocked to see enough food for him to easily have fifteen full plates and for her to have a full one. Heaping dishes of herb-crusted salmon, sautéed chicken, seasoned potatoes, and green beans were strewn about the kitchen.

"Did I mention I love this kitchen? I don't know if some of these features were here last time, but cooking time is virtually non-existent due to some enchantment in here. I only have to select the amount of doneness and it's ready in a few moments."

"Well, that explains all the food. I took my sweet time showering and unwinding, but I know I didn't take more than about 30 minutes. I thought I would have to help you. I guess they must have improved the kitchen area after it being used by Saiyans so much."

"Smart move on their decision. I hope you don't mind a bit of foreign cuisine. I've seen you and your brother put it away and you never seemed too selective." She looked slightly nervous. It was actually her first time cooking for her boyfriend. She had helped Chichi in the kitchen, but had never cooked a meal for Gohan.

"No! I'm fine with whatever you cook. After traveling the world and a few galaxies, you get used to a lot of different food. Besides, mom always cooks different things. She's aware of all kinds of cultures and likes to challenge herself in the kitchen."

"Oh okay. Let's eat then." They settled down at the table after getting their food. Gohan indeed had no problem with her cooking. The mountain of empty plates was testament to his approval.

"Wow Videl. That was delicious! I didn't know you could cook so well! It was nearly as good as mom's, and she's been cooking longer than you have." The girl blushed at his compliment.

"Thanks. I really enjoy training and fighting and but cooking is sort of a hobby. I used to help my mom all the time in the kitchen and well, I continued on to keep the memories alive. I've become good at cooking and cleaning up after myself in the kitchen."

"I'm sure you're doing your mom proud by being so well rounded. You're smart, strong, hardworking, and beautiful. What more could a woman hope to be?" Videl again blushed at the comment. She wasn't used to so much sincere praise.

"Thanks Gohan. But if you're trying to earn extra brownie points, you'll have to try harder than that. Since I cooked...you can take care of the dishes. Sound fair?" She didn't give him time to respond and walked towards the bathroom for a shower of her own. "Thought so. Well, have fun then!" She blew him a kiss then left him to the mountain of dished to wash.

"How does she push me around like that?" The rhetorical question was left unanswered and forgotten, as he quickly got busy.

It hadn't taken long to get cleaned up put everything away. They had obviously put enchantments on all the stations of the kitchen, probably to save time for training instead of cooking and cleaning. Gohan wasn't complaining by any means. No one in his or her right mind would have a problem with a dishwasher that could wash a load in a mere few seconds. The loading took much longer than the actual wash time. Gohan took a sighed in relief as he put the last plate away. The kitchen was once again pristine.

"Hey Gohan. Done already? I'm going to turn in for the night. See you tomorrow."

"Sure thing. I'm going to meditate for maybe an hour then also go to sleep." They shared a quick goodnight and a kiss before going their separate ways.

_"Now to concentrate on that great power I've felt lately under the surface. If I can isolate it tonight, maybe I can bring it out tomorrow."_

Meanwhile, a short figure accompanied by a person of much taller stature lurked in the desert. They appeared to be searching for something.

"Master. Are you certain that it landed here?"

"Down to the exact coordinates am I certain. My father left me very specific instructions, should that time have ever come that his legacy was left for me. You just be ready to do the heavy lifting, Dabura. We are getting close. According to my crystal ball, it should be just ahead."

"Very well, Master Babidi."

"Excellent. Now pay attention. We need to extract him from his resting places carefully, and then we can take him to the ship. Right there. He is buried here. I'll break the top soil with my magic and you lift him out." Babidi raised his hands and uttered an incantation. "Paparapappa!" The ground exploded to reveal a fleshy looking pod underneath the surface.

"You have found him, my Master. Allow me." The tall, red demon easily extracted the pod from the ground. It was much bigger than they both realized, being an orb easily twelve feet in diameter.

"Oh! This is simply marvelous! With Majin Buu soon to be awakened, our plans of glorious revenge for my father and enslaving the entire universe are at hand."

"It truly is an auspicious occasion, Master Babidi. What shall we do now?"

"We'll have to move the pod onto the ship. Then it wouldn't be a bad idea to hide out in this area. You could blast a hole right here, and I could conceal the ship in it with my magic. Then we can gather the energy we need to awaken Majin Buu."

"I'll see to it right away, Master Babidi." The demon king flew off, carrying the pod with him and preparing to do all he had been instructed to do."

_"Soon my father will have his revenge, and nothing will stand against me and my minions. In fact, they will all be cannon fodder once Buu is revived."_ A wicked cackle escaped him as he conspired.

Piccolo's eyes snapped open as he had been broken from his meditative state. He had felt something briefly, but it wasn't far away like Neeros. It had felt like it was on the very planet and it was definitely evil. He took flight as soon as he was sure it wasn't Neeros. Dende surely could feel it too and he needed to discuss this with him.

Gohan panted as the strain from his training was taking its toll on him. It wouldn't be long before he wrapped up and met Videl for their spar. He just had one thing to try again before he finished.

_"I know I can do this. I was so close yesterday, and I've felt it just waiting to burst forth from the surface all day."_

He clenched his fists and prepared to bring out all the power he had been feeling in his meditations. He grunted from the strain of trying to harness it. As his power level rose, an aura surrounded him. Electricity sparked around his golden hued aura as he ascended to the second transformation. His power continued to rise before hitting a wall all of a sudden.

_"No! I've isolated it, but I can't bring it out. Just a little more."_

Something in Gohan snapped. The weight of everything on his shoulders was brought to the surface as he considered what was at stake. A knew resolve filled his being as he strained to control his power. He would bring out this power to defend what he cared about or he would die trying. The ground began to rattle and he let out a roar as he pushed farther than he had ever gone before. Suddenly, the dam broke and he let out the torrent of power that had been waiting to flood forth. His very ki lit up the room for miles and the shockwaves kicked up a cloud of dust. Finally, as his ki leveled off he could stand at ease and examine himself.

"Wow." It was all he could say at the time. The sheer power that coursed through him was boggling his mind. "It's more than I thought was possible."

The physical changes were nearly as dramatic as the power increase. His golden hair had grown to lengths resembling his uncle, save for his normal spike of hair that always hung over his forehead. His muscle mass had also increases slightly and he was more toned, but he was still sleek enough to maintain speed. His eyebrows had disappeared and his forehead was slightly larger.

"Well, I guess I'm done for today. I need to work on maintaining the form like the first and second level." Gohan powered down and flew to where Videl was training.

It was well into the night when Vegeta laid down beside Bulma. He had to join her without waking her, but that plan failed. She was already awake.

"You know, it wouldn't kill you to go to join us for dinner sometime this week. You've been missing it a lot and coming to bed late. Maybe you could train Trunks more often too? You know how much he loves it." She didn't turn to face him as she spoke to him.

"On the contrary, woman. It just might kill me. I might kill everyone else as well. You can't expect me to just let Kakarrot and his son leave me behind even more and then be powerless to challenge the threat that looms over our heads? Trunks will appreciate being alive to train rather than training a little more often only to die." She turned over to look at him at his words.

"It wouldn't make you THAT far behind. Gohan trains Goten everyday and they are BOTH strong. I know YOU don't want Goku's youngest kid to outdo your son. Besides, I miss you. I see you less everyday." A look of longing flashed across her face and Vegeta felt a slight jab in his chest at seeing his mate pained. His face didn't betray his emotion.

"I...I didn't mean to vex you." He turned over to hide his flustered expression. Reconciliation was never his thing. It was so much easier to either retort or blast the offender's head off in a conflict. Bulma couldn't help smirking at his gruff stuttered apology.

"So what are you saying?" She was grinning teasingly as she milked him.

"Argh! Fine. I'm sorry. I got caught up in my own training and have neglected Trunks...and you."

"There. Now was that so difficult?" She drew closer and embraced him from behind, her warm body pressed comfortably into his back.

"Remind me why I put up with you again?" The tone in his voice was only mock irritation. His defenses were all but down and he was only playing now.

"Because I'm sexy and I'm just so hard to resist? It might help that you love me." Bulma said this and somehow managed to sound seductive, playful, and teasing at the same time. Vegeta could only grunt at her reasoning.

"Well, I can't argue there." He smirked at the memory. The former reason was nearly the same thing she had said while inviting him to live at Capsule Corp. Only, that time had been while she had jokingly told him not to try any moves on her, which had disgusted him at the time. Oh, how times had changed. He relished the feel of her arms around him and let her warmth lull him to sleep.

Meanwhile, more months had passed in The Room Of Spirit And Time and Gohan was getting better at controlling his new form. Videl had also gotten a lot stronger in the gravity and harsh conditions and her power had skyrocketed to nearly five hundred times her power level before entering. She could have easily taken Vegeta when he came to earth or even most of the Ginyu Force.

"Videl. I want you to know that I'm proud of how far you're coming along. By the time we get out of here, you're going to be among the strongest humans on earth." Gohan complimented Videl sincerely.

"Really? That's awesome! So how strong am I right now?" She couldn't contain the excitement in her voice and she sounded like a child opening a birthday present.

"Well, I'd say if you focused enough power into one attack, you could probably destroy most of Earth right now." Gohan didn't seem to notice the weight of his words as he held his chin and still had a calculative expression on his face. Videl had turned pale upon hearing this.

"You can't be serious! How is that even possible for someone like me?" Her voice was filled with awe and wonder at having such power at her fingertips.

"This isn't unusual. You've been strong enough to do it for a while. Vegeta was actually less than half as strong as you are now when we first met, and he was capable of doing it then. Granted, it's not in conventional attacks that you are capable of doing it, but either a ki blast with most of your reserves in it or a finishing move. That's why dad and me have to be careful with the Kamehameha Wave. At our current level we could destroy the planet."

"Oh, I see. That's still incredible. So what do you have more me today?"

"Well, seeing as we've brought up finishing moves and power levels, I figured we would work on some techniques. As you know, any technique with lots of power can be used as a finishing move. The reason being as that they gather energy at a single point and release an attack for more powerful than your base power. They are very taxing on one's ki reserves so that's why we use strong techniques to finish a fight."

"Okay. I understand."

"Good, but before we get into those, I would like to show you a useful technique. It's called the Kaioken. What it does is it multiplies your speed, strength, and even senses like hearing and eyesight. It does use some ki to do, but it can used regularly in a fight and quite effectively."

"Really! That's amazing! But why have I never seen you do anything like that?"

"Well, I would use it more, but my father is the real master of this ability and it can be taxing to use in conjunction with my Super Saiyan form. It wasn't too hard to get the general idea down after watching him do it, but I believe you can find a great use for this ability. I can only use it to double my strength, but I think you can go higher given time."

"If you say so. I can't wait to learn it! Could you should it to me first, before I try it though?" Gohan smirked.

"Sure." Gohan got into a stance and concentrated briefly. "Kaioken!" Upon his shout a red aura covered his form. Videl could easily feel his ki increase in that very instant, then as soon quickly as it happened, Golan let go of the form.

"Oh. Okay. That's pretty impressive all right. Let's get started learning it then!" A determined fire filled her eyes.

"You bet." The next hour saw him breakdown the mechanics of the technique and how to properly do it.

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Author's Note: Not much action and just story this time around. Yes, Bulma did say not do anything naughty because she's "hard to resist" to Vegeta in the manga. If anyone thinks that it's strange that Videl is getting so strong, keep in mind that this is a high gravity situation and it's been months. Goku reached a power level of 180,000 in five days. Factor in that she is a human that started (according to my story) with a power level that was about twenty times stronger than a regular human (five which comes out to be one hundred). A few months in high gravity and 50,000 doesn't seem like much of a stretch to me, given her potential and natural talent. Oh yes, and Buu is going to happen. He will not be as hard to defeat because he is the opening act before the big boy and I though it would fit (plus everyone is stronger). Thanks for keeping up with the story. It's encouraging that this is well liked among a few of you.


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